DUKE 

UNIVERSITY 

LIBRARY 


Treasure  "Room 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2010  with  funding  from 
Duke  University  Libraries 


http://www.archive.org/details/utopianwayOOveib 


«iiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiii iiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii II iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiuuiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiimimiiiimiiiiits 


THE 

UTOPIAN 
WAY 


JOHN    VEIBY 


1917 


SOUTH  BEND 

IND. 


^ iiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiii iiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii 11111= 


Copyrighted.  1917 
By 

JOHN  VEIBY 

All  Rights  Reserved 


CONTENTS 


VrbFI/\ 


BOOK  I. 


Opening  Paragraphs. 

A  King's  Court 7 

The  Impossible 8 

The   Program   10 

Kings  and  Shepherds 16 

Units   19 

The  Heritage  and  the  Heirs 27 

Standpatters 29 

Utopias. 

The  Three  Kinds 31 

Instructive  Utopias  31 

IntelHgent  Utopias  35 

Composite  Utopias  45 

The  Cornerstone  49 

Extension  51 

Preservation    53 

The  Hut  54 

A  Lover's   Lane 56 

Marriage    57 

The  Saloon  59 

Names  and  Titles '. „..  62 

Remarks  64 

IMovements    66 

Our  Religion. 

The  Spirit  of  Prophecy 68 

Our  Temple  73 

Observances  78 

Rites  and  Rituals 80 

Utopian  Ritual  Baptism 82 

The  Holv  Communion 90 


BOOK  II. 

Idle  Thoughts. 

The  Shining  Surface 95 

Parasites    100 

Population   104 

Love  Afifairs 108 

Motherhood  116 

Fatherhood    116 

Brotherhood    ' 118 

Sisterhood    125 

Ideals  127 

Gods  and  Heavens 132 

Fairyland    133 

Polytheism  134 

Monotheism  135 

Public  Opinion  138 

Reflections  - 139 

The  Pearl  of  Great  Price 144 

At  Sea  150 

Our  Pohcies 159 

Resurrection  of  the  Gods 164 

My  Empire 168 

Return  of  the  Father 169 

BOOK  III. 

Christ  and  His  Kingdom. 

Foreword   176 

Moses    176 

The  Promised  Land 179 

The   Prophets  180 

The  Messiah  182 

The  Gospel  According  to  Utopians 184 

The  Kingdom  185 

Christianity   194 

The  Power  That  Be 200 

Our  Kingdom  207 

Second  Coming  of  Christ 209 

The    Many    Mansions 212 


BOOK  I. 


THE  CLOUDS 

Thoughts  on  Utopias  or  Ideal  Common- 

"wealths  as  Means  Towards  Social 

Adjustments. 


OPENING  PARAGRAPHS 


A  KING'S  COURT 


Jf  NCE  upon  a  time  a  Nature  Faker,  so-called,  told  a  beautiful 
story  about  a  child  that  was  lost  in  the  wilderness,  and  how 
a  wolf  followed  that  child  in  mute  admiration. 

This  story  ought  to  be  true.  When  a  human  child  has  lost 
its  way,  not  only  wolves,  but  other  animals  as  well,  should  pay  it 
homage.  And  every  rattlesnake  in  its  path  should  hide  its  poisonous 
head  in  the  moss  while  the  little  one  was  passing,  and  rattle  its 
tail  to  the  child's  amusement, 

But  will  they  do  it? 

It  is  the  experience  of  our  race  that  they  will  not. 

To  keep  the  wolf  from  the  door  was  the  problem  before  we 
had  houses.  It  is  the  problem  now,  long  after  the  original  wolf 
is  almost  extinct.    For  there  are  wolves  and  wolves. 

By  kindling  a  fire  primitive  men  kept  the  animals  at  bay.  In 
the  light  and  glare  of  the  fireplace,  the  gentler  creature,  man,  found 
protection  from  the  growling  beasts,  and  this  gathering,  the  family, 
constituted  the  first  Utopia  or  ideal  commonwealth. 

In  time  this  gathering  around  the  hearthstone  proved  too 
small  for  man's  needs,  and  an  altar  was  then  made  the  center 
of  a  larger  community,  and  within  the  charmed  circle  thus  created 
gentler  men  and  gentler  arts  could  flourish. 

Now,  when  the  fires  on  the  altars  grow  pale  in  the  light  of  a 
new  day  and  wolves  in  sheep's  clothing  are  hiding  in  holy  places, 
new  means  must  be  found  to  overcome  the  adversaries  of  gentler, 
yet  stronger  and  fairer,  specimens  of  humanity,  created  for  them- 
selves by  a  superior  insight  or  cunning.    Otherwise  they  are  lost. 

We  are  sorely  pressed  by  shepherds  of  every  kind  and  de- 
scription. They  love  us  too  much.  We  are  killed  by  their  love. 
They  want  us  to  succeed  their  way.  But  their  way  is  our  de- 
struction. Their  watchful  eyes  are  ever  upon  us.  At  work  we 
must  keep  at  it  everlastingly,  otherwise  we  shall  not  succeed.  To 
look  at  the  clock  spells  failure.  In  any  line  of  endeavor,  to  slack 
up  only  for  a  minute  is  fatal,  for  in  that  one  minute,  so  we  are  told, 
someone  else  shall  get  ahead  of  us.  Above  all  we  must  be  careful 
and  not  waste  a  leisure  moment  during  a  brief  vacation,  but  read, 
study  and  try  in  every  conceivable  way  to  enlarge  our  mind  to 


8  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

get  a  greater  outlook.  It  is  all  so  true,  so  depressingly  true.  Try 
as  we  may  to  avoid  them,  our  saviors  and  protectors  are  always 
after  us.  And,  as  the  law  drove  St.  Paul  to  accept  Christ  as  his 
only  salvation,  so  our  shepherds  shall  compel  us  to  create  a  king's 
court  for  our  own  safety. 

Safety  from  our  enemies;  freedom,  but  not  freedom  from 
dangers.  Let  it  be  like  a  consuming  fire.  Attracted  by  its  light 
many  shall  perish,  while  others,  to  their  own  surprise,  shall  here 
find  a  new  heaven. 

Lest  the  unfortunate  souls  who  cannot  endure  the  trials  of 
freedom  shall  say  that  they  were  lured  to  their  destruction,  it 
would  be  well  to  write  over  the  portals  of  Utopias,  as  a  warning, 
the  words  a  poet  inscribed  over  the  gates  of  Hell : 

"Abandon  all  hope,  ye  who  enter  here!" 

From  the  start  Utopias  must  be  the  abode  of  lost  souls,  that 
is,  lost  to  older  social  ideals.  If  a  Jew,  for  example,  enter,  to 
the  extent  he  is  Jew,  his  presence  is  detrimental,  perhaps  fatal  to 
its  success.  On  the  contrary  a  lost  Jew,  one  freed  from  the  fixed 
ideas  of  his  race  and  his  religion,  should  be  a  great  acquisition.  So 
also  a  lost  Christian  shall  be  welcome  to  our  court.  Being  now 
immune  to  the  ideas  of  original  sin  and  the  wonderful  salvation 
by  faith  and  blood,  his  presence  shall  be  a  source  of  strength. 

As  particularly  fitted  we  shall  mention  little  children.  They, 
as  yet,  are  not  found,  and  not  being  found  equals,  being  lost. 
We  are  all  born  innocent,  and  so  long  as  we  are  children  we  remain 
innocent  and  as  such  are  acceptable. 

The  original  sin  is  inculcated  in  the  minds  of  the  young  by 
shepherds.  In  baptism  the  evil  spirit  is  breathed  into  the  faces 
of  babies,  and  Protestants  vie  with  Catholics  in  creating  the  faith 
that  we  by  nature  are  damned.  There  is  no  question  about  it. 
But,  to  the  extent  that  this  faith  has  hold  upon  us,  we  are  damned 
already  and  a  poor  material  for  an  ideal  commonwealth. 

For  sundry  reasons,  that  later  shall  become  apparent,  it  is 
also  desirable  that  the  old,  the  sick  and  the  destitute  shall  be 
gathered  into  our  Utopias  regardless  of  their  faith. 

Though  their  faith  be  opposed  to  the  principle  of  an  Utopia, 
they  are  now,  in  their  condition,  too  feeble  to  seriously  interfere 
with  its  policies. 

THE  IMPOSSIBLE 

They  who  pray,  "Thy  Kingdom  Come !"  pray  without  faith, 
and,  if  anybody  else  proposes  an  ideal  commonwealth  where  there 
shall  be  no  sorrow  nor  crying  any  more,  he  is  invariably  met  with 


THE  CLOUDS  9 

the  objection,  "Why,  this  is  Utopian."  The  impHcation  is  that 
something  impossible  is  contemplated. 

Lately,  however,  so  many  things  have  come  to  pass  that  only 
a  short  time  ago  were  deemed  impossible,  that  at  last  we  shall 
come  to  believe  that  only  standpatism  is  impossible. 

When  we  look  at  the  stars,  does  it  not  seem  impossible  to 
measure  the  distance  between  them  and  find  out  their  size  and 
substance?  And  yet  it  is  done.  It  was  not  done  in  a  day,  but  that 
only  adds  to  the  wonder.  The  wonder  that  throughout  all  the 
ages  of  turmoils  and  wars  some  men  had  time  and  the  inclinations 
to  study  the  sky  until  the  firmament  at  last  vanished  for  their 
gaze,  and  all  of  us  now  can  look  out  into  limitless  space.  Com- 
pared with  this  the  creation  of  Utopias  seems  a  simple  matter. 

It  is  simplified,  too,  because  we  in  a  greater  measure  can 
profit  by  other  experiments. 

For  earlier  than  our  observations  of  the  heavens  was  our 
attempts  at  Utopias.  Take  the  comparatively  recent  examples  Sparta 
and  Israel.  What  were  they  but  attempts  on  the  part  of  Lycurgus 
and  Moses  to  create  ideal  commonwealths?  The  Kingdom  of 
Heaven,  the  Gospel — what  is  it  but  a  dream  of  Utopias  ? 

Anything  that  is  not  Utopian  shall  not  carry  us  very  far. 

The  practical  has  its  limitations.  The  inventor  of  the  sewing 
machine,  for  example,  could  not  make  any  great  headway  so  long  as 
his  mind  was  set  on  the  improvement  of  the  needle.  Freed  from 
that  fixed  idea  a  new  idea  of  doing  the  old  work  in  another  way 
could  enter  his  mind,  and  the  sewing  machine  that  was  nowhere 
came  to  be. 

The  main  trouble  with  Utopians  heretofore  seem  to  have  been 
that  they  sought  to  make  their  Utopias  one.  For  my  Utopia  may  not 
be  your  Utopia,  and  ours  not  that  of  a  third,  etc. ;  for  this  must 
be  the  first  question  in  regard  to  any  and  all  Utopias  proposed : 
What  is  there  in  it  for  me? 

By  making  them  many  and  different  we  shall  avoid  that  stumb- 
ling block. 

The  social  instinct  is  not  explained  so  much  by  this  that  we 
are  alike,  as  by  the  fact  that  we  are  different.  This  is  most  strikingly 
demonstrated  by  the  natural  association,  the  family,  founded  as  it 
is  on  a  difference  in  sex,  and  held  together  by  differences  in  age 
and  differences  in  needs  that  only  others  can  supply.  So  one 
Utopia  shall  be  strengthened  by  the  establishment  of  others  dif- 
ferent from  it. 

As  a  mutual  need  we  shall  mention  a  free  exchange  of  mem- 
bers. For  having  only  one  social  ideal  makes  it  impossible  for  a 
great  number  of  individuals  to  find  a  place  where  they  feel  at 


10  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

home,  and  hence  they  are  Hkely  to  become  a  menace.  To  facilitate 
this  exchange  of  members,  that  for  some  reason  may  be  detrimental 
to  the  welfare  of  one,  but  for  the  very  same  reason  may  constitute 
an  element  needed  by  another,  is  essential  to  the  growth  of  Utopias. 
Consequently  it  is  poor  policy  to  make  the  Utopias  closed  systems 
wherein  individuals  are  kept  as  in  a  prison. 

Reformers  with  good  reason  sometimes  complain  about  the 
lack  of  response  on  the  part  of  the  majority.  But  many  of  the 
reforms  advocated  are  only  prison  reforms:  better  fare,  shorter 
hours  and  more  pay;  stricter  or  more  lenient  rules  and  regulations, 
as  the  reformer  sees  it.  While  all  these  reforms  may  be  needed, 
and  may  be  very  good  in  their  way,  we  ought  not  to  expect  any 
great  enthusiasm  on  the  part  of  the  prisoners  in  regard  to  them. 
But  let  one  whisper  into  the  ear  of  a  single  convict  a  word  that 
shall  tell  him  a  way  whereby  he,  and  after  him,  others  may  escape. 
That  word  is  dynamic. 

Life  is  positive,  waiting  for  an  outlet,  looking  for  an  opening, 
waiting  for  a  word  of  deliverance,  and  Utopias  shall  stir  the 
stagnant  waters,  and  by  giving  the  floating  population  an  aim,  con- 
vert it  into  a  purifying  stream. 

Confined  within  communities  as  within  closed  shells  tliat  give 
little  or  no  opportunity  for  movement  and  obstruct  assimilation 
and  elimination,  the  members  constituting  the  same  degenerate. 
Let  us,  therefore,  create  our  Utopias  around  a  kernel  of  some  sort, 
a  King's  Court,  that  shall  give  to  its  surroundings  an  atmosphere 
in  which  men  can  freely  move,  being  held  together  by  mutual  at- 
traction only.  And  though  these  courts  be  open  like  the  air  is  open 
even  to  fishes,  only  those  who  are  fitted  for  a  particular  court, 
shall  be  able  to  enter  therein  or  endure  its  life  for  any  length  of 
time. 

THE  PROGRAM 

If  we  shall  go  anywhere  or  do  anything,  we  must  start  from 
where  we  are  with  what  we  have  and  with  people  such  as  we  are. 
As  promoters  of  Utopias  therefore  let  us  go  over  the  ground  slowly 
and  carefully.  Study  ourselves  and  the  forces  at  our  command 
as  well  as  the  strength  and  position  of  opposing  parties.  As  we 
go  we  may  be  able  to  formulate  a  program  for  the  creation  of  ideal 
commonwealths  or  Utopias,  and  suggest  a  plan  of  compaign. 

To  begin  with,  this  is  our  working  theory: 

We  all  want  to  do  something  but  we  don't  want  to  work. 

Already,  or  more  especially,  in  children  we  observe  this  aver- 
sion to  work,  and  this  propensity  to  do  something,  generally  speak- 
ing, to  play. 


THE  CLOUDS  11 

Into  these  two  classes,  work  and  play,  we  shall  divide  all  our 
activities  and  define  work  or  labor  as  compulsory  exertion  or  doing 
what  we  don't  like,  and  play  as  voluntary  exertion  or  doing  what 
we  like. 

The  nature  of  our  exertions  or  the  object  of  our  endeavors 
does  not  matter.  A  disagreeable  task  like  Hercules  cleaning  a  stable 
may  be  executed  as  play,  and  many  performances  that  to  begin  with 
were  hard  work  a  man  may  grow  to  like,  and  it  is  then  play.  On 
the  contrary  dancing  and  singing,  these  primary  expressions  of  a 
playful  spirit,  may  degenerate  into  work,  and  probably  is  hard  labor 
for  many  performers  on  the  stage. 

A  definition  of  Utopia  satisfactory  to  most  people  would  be: 
Utopia  is  a  community  where  we  don't  have  to  work.  But  as  this 
only  covers  half  the  proposition,  we  shall  add :  And  where  we  can 
do  as  we  please. 

For  Utopians  it  is  needless  to  emphasize  man's  dislike  of  labor. 
But  as  this  trait  constitutes  a  strong  argument  in  favor  of  Utopia, 
and  as  the  blessing  of  work  is  ever  enlarged  upon  in  the  home, 
the  school,  the  press,  etc.,  a  few  words  to  the  contrary  are  not  amiss. 

They  who  work — we  are  not  talking  of  those  who  like  it,  they 
are  playing — work  in  the  hope  that  some  time  in  the  future  they 
shall  have  saved  enough  to  enable  them  to  quit  working.  Or  work 
in  the  hope  that  they  shall  be  able  to  leave  their  children  a  suf- 
ficiently large  sum  safely  invested,  so  their  loved  ones  can  live  on 
the  interest  thereof ;  that   is,   be   free   from  work. 

As  more  desperate  ways  to  avoid  work  we  shall  mention :  To 
beg,  to  steal,  to  rob.  But  in  this  rush  to  avoid  work  let  us  not  forget 
the  gentlest  and  most  effective  means  of  all,  unfortunately  only 
possible  for  a  minority,  namely,  to  live  on  the  interest  of  money 
safely  invested. 

A  beggar  must  exert  himself  to  some  extent.  A  thief  or  a 
robber  runs  the  risk  of  losing  both  life  and  reputation.  But  the 
safe  investor  takes  no  risk  and  remains  a  highly  respected  member 
of  the  community.     To  him  belongs  the  palm  of  victory. 

Far  from  deploring  this  tendency  to  avoid  work,  we,  as  stated 
before,  rejoice  in  it  as  in  a  force  carrying  us  onward  to  our  goal. 
This  will  at  once  be  clearly  seen  when  we  call  attention  to  the  fact 
that  to  avoid  work  is  the  underlying  motive  for  the  invention  of 
labor-saving  machinery,  likewise  for  the  introduction  of  more 
efficient  management  of  business  and  manufacturing  concerns.  For 
an  ideal  commonwealth  can  properly  be  classed  as  a  labor  saving 
device.  And  if  an  idea  of  Utopia  or  Utopias  should  occur  to  us, 
an  idea  that  appealed  to  people  with  common-sense  as  practical, 
as    likely    to    secure    them    leisure,    luxury    and    a    higher    degree 


12  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

of  culture — further,  that  it  was  made  clear  that  the  introduction 
of  Utopias  could  be  put  on  an  experimental  basis  and  the  different 
ideas  could  be  tried  out  without  any  great  risk  either  to  individuals 
or  the  community  at  large,  their  establishment  would  follow  as  a 
matter  of  course. 

Invention  of  labor-saving  machinery  is  in  perfect  accord  with 
the  instinctive  manifestation  of  life.  The  object  is  the  same,  to 
perform  functions  or  obtain  certain  ends  with  the  least  friction. 

Instinctively  this  is  accomplished  by  forming  the  organism 
itself  to  respond  automatically  to  the  sensations  of  pleasure  and 
pain.  But  as  the  very  act  of  living  changes  the  living  being  and 
its  needs  as  well  as  its  surroundings,  no  perfect  adjustment  is  pos- 
sible. Of  this  the  organisms  are  more  or  less  painfully  aware  or 
conscious,  and  a  readjustment  is  always  in  order,  and  life  on  that 
account  goes  on  forever. 

So  also  the  aim  of  an  inventor  is  to  create  a  machine  that 
shall  work  with  the  least  friction,  preferably  automatically. 

The  power  intelligence  gives  man  to  invent  machinery  frees 
him  to  some  extent  from  the  necessity  of  changing  his  body  in  con- 
formity to  changed  conditions. 

To  overcome  the  painful  sensation  of  cold,  for  example,  we 
need  not  grow  fur  like  a  bear.  The  invention  of  fire,  clothes  and 
houses  enable  us  to  overcome  that  pain  and  we  remain  as  we  are. 
But  here  also  we  observe  the  effects  of  the  same  law  even  more 
emphasized,  namely,  that  every  new  invention  changes  the  conditions 
of  our  lives  and  calls  for  new  ones  to  satisfy  new  desires.  A  re- 
adjustment is  always  in  order,  and  there  is  no  end  to  our  labors. 

Being  aware  of  this  fact,  that  inventions  seem  to  give  us  more 
work,  some  advocate  the  simple  life.  Back  to  the  farm,  is  the 
slogan;  as  if  it  were  simpler  to  draw  water  from  the  well  with  an 
old  oaken  bucket  than  to  turn  a  faucet  in  the  sink,  or  easier  to  tend 
to  a  kerosene  lamp  than  to  lluminate  the  whole  house  by  simply 
pressing  an  electric  button. 

But  the  dweller  in  the  country,  often  more  familiar  with  the 
advantages  of  machinery  than  the  dweller  in  the  cities,  has  no 
illusions  on  the  subject  of  the  simple  life  on  the  farm.  He  works 
hard  and  his  toil  is  lightened  only  by  the  thought  that  some  time 
he  shall  be  able  to  go  to  the  city  and  enjoy  all  its  pleasures,  inci- 
dentally the  company  of  the  advocate  of  the  simple  life  generally 
there  to  be  found. 

Notwithstanding  this,  that  we  are  well  aware  that  the  simple 
life  on  a  farm  had  a  charm  all  its  own,  a  charm  that  the  city  has 
not,  we  cannot  go  back  to  a  more  primitive  mode  of  life.  Cannot 
because  we  will  not.    As  Utopians  we  may  turn  towards  the  country, 


THE  CLOUDS  13 

but  first  we  must  find  a  way  to  take  all  the  advantages  the  cities 
offer  with  us.  Until  then,  hypnotized  by  the  cities  as  we  are,  per- 
haps we  shall  degenerate ;  but  as  we  sink  into  the  slums  our  eyes 
shall  be  looking  and  our  hearts  shall  be  longing  for  ease,  for  lux- 
uries and  a  more  abundant  life. 

Another  labor-saving  attempt  is  the  division  of  the  world's 
work.  This,  too,  is  an  attempt  to  avoid  the  pain  a  change  of  occu- 
pation and  habits  gives  us.  And  this  tendency  to  create  castes,  is 
instinctive  and  always  operative.  We  have  the  military  and  priest 
castes  still  with  us,  though  shorn  of  some  of  their  glory  and  power. 
We  have  a  ruling  class  of  business  men,  an  official  and  a  profes- 
sional class,  mechanics,  and  common  laborers,  all  of  these  more  or 
less  hereditary. 

Farmer  boys  are  told  to  stay  on  the  farm  and  follow  their 
fathers'  occupation  or  go  back  to  the  farm.  Mechanics  are  told  to 
stick  to  their  trades.  As  to  common  laborer,  praise  takes  the  place 
of  admonition.  We  speak  patronizingly  of  horny-handed  sons  of 
toil  and  above  all  about  honest  working  men.  But  we  all  feel  this 
to  be  a  praise  of  doubtful  value.  Also  that  it  tends  to  bring  honesty 
into  disrepute,  creating  an  impression  that  it  is  a  sort  of  stupidity. 
To  this  order  of  thought  belongs  the  old  advice  at  times  given  even 
today:  Be  content  with  the  place  God  has  ordained  for  you. 

Surely  much  can  be  said  in  favor  of  castes.  Much  friction 
and  painful  ambition  would  be  done  away  with;  and  who  could 
possibly  be  better  farmers  than  the  boys  raised  in  the  country? 
And  would  not  the  sons  of  mechanics  be  apt  to  inherit  some  of 
their  fathers'  skill,  likewise  officials  and  professionals  their  fathers' 
virtues?  Our  intelligence  must  approve  of  this  instinctive  attempt 
to  make  efficient  servants  all  around. 

It  is  nevertheless  not  Utopian.  For  even  if  we  succeeded  in 
making  the  different  classes  capable  and  content,  each  fullfilling 
its  function  without  friction,  because  mind  and  body  in  each  case 
was  perfectly  adjusted  to  that  function,  it  would  not  be  an  ideal 
commonwealth.  The  social  body  working  without  friction — that  is, 
automatically — its  members  would  sink  to  the  level  of  animals.  We 
would  then  be  happy  as  animals,  but  would  lose  the  self -conscious- 
ness born  of  pain  and  opposition.  And  without  this  consciousness 
what  would  our  Utopias  be?  Bereft  of  reason  or  without  in- 
telligence our  commonwealth  could  not  be  ideal. 

Often  in  our  trouble  v/e  express  a  wish  that  we  were  as  happy 
as  the  animals,  but  we  do  not  mean  it.  Although  it  would  free  us 
from  worry,  from  the  memory  of  past  mistakes  and  the  anticipation 
of  future  trouble,  we  prefer  the  wide  horizon  given  by  intelligence 
to  the  narrow  circle  prescribed  by  instinct. 


14  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

This  does  not  exclude  that  we  as  Utopians  shall  seek  happiness ; 
only  that  our  conception  of  happiness  does  not  consist  in  becoming 
at  one  with  instinctive  life,  but  in  our  ability  to  rise  above  it,  and 
gain  a  deeper  and  more  comprehensive  consciousness  of  existence. 
But  this  implies  a  greater  sensitiveness  developed  by  friction,  where- 
by we  are  made  capable  of  ascending  to  higher  heavens  of  ecstasy 
but  whereby  we  also  at  times  shall  be  plunged  into  the  anguish  of 
deeper  hells. 

Fortunately  the  specialization  of  labor  beyond  a  certain  point 
destroys  its  evil  effect  of  forming  our  minds  and  our  bodies  to  its 
performance.  Our  special  line  of  business,  our  little  rut  of  routine, 
our  operation  in  a  manufacturing  concern  or  whatever  our  occupa- 
tion may  be,  becomes  at  last  too  insignificant,  too  feeble,  to  impress 
itself  on  body  and  soul  and  loses  its  power  and  we  are  saved  from 
sinking  to  the  instinctive  plane. 

There  is,  for  example,  a  growing  army  of  men  and  women,  a 
floating  population,  capable  of  going  into  the  factories  of  various 
branches  of  industry  and  on  short  notice  operating  different  ma- 
chines or  filling  other  positions  satisfactorily.  This  detachment  from 
the  tools  saves  them  from  the  stigmata  of  any  single  trade.  And, 
though  they  in  some  respects  are  inferior  to  the  specialist  or  expert, 
they  are  nevertheless  nearer  to  an  Utopian  ideal :  To  be  master  of 
all  trades  and  the  slave  of  none. 

Doing  away  v^-ith  work  necessarily  implies  that  we  at  the  same 
time  do  away  with  a  working  class.  As  the  great  majority  of  the 
workers  are  poor  and  as  a  great  deal  is  said  about  the  idle  rich,  we 
must  be  on  our  guard  and  not  identify  the  working  class  with  the 
poor.  According  to  our  definition,  there  are  perhaps  proportion- 
ally just  as  many  v/orkers,  liard  workers  at  that,  among  the  rich, 
that  is,  men  occupied  or  tied  up  with  business  that  they  do  not 
like  but  which  they  feel  in  duty  bound  to  perform.  On  the  other 
hand  m.any  day  laborers  like  their  work,  and  should  not,  accord- 
ing to  our  definition,  be  classed  as  workers. 

The  working  class  or  working  man,  as  above  defined,  is  nothing 
but  a  tool,  the  first  tool  invented  in  order  to  get  away  from  work. 
For  the  simplest  way  out  of  it  was  and  is  to  let  others  do  it. 

The  ability  on  the  part  of  some  to  enslave  others,  be  it  by  brute 
force  or  by  an  intelligent  use  of  the  subtle  power  of  superstition,  or 
by  the  gentle  means  of  training  and  persuasion,  ought  not  to  be  con- 
demned. It  is  the  beginning  of  civilization,  a  civilization  as  yet  de- 
pendent on  it.  But  we  are  not  justified  in  upholding  slavery  of  any 
kind  beyond  the  time  it  can  safely  be  discarded. 

And  it  can  be  safeh'  assumed  that  as  a  means  to  insure  leisure 
to  a  few,  even  for  those  few  at  times  it  must  be  felt  to  be  an  un- 


THE  CLOUDS  15 

wieldly  tool,  and  that  its  use  has  a  brutalizing  effect  upon  them- 
selves, that  it  makes  the  heart,  if  not  the  hands,  callous. 

But  rest  as  a  permanent  state  is  not  heaven.  When  we  are 
rested  we  grow  restless  and  want  to  do  something.  This  part  of 
our  working  theory  shall  now  be  considered. 

The  accumulation  of  a  surplus  energy  that  normally  follows 
a  period  of  rest  gives  us  pain  until  it  has  found  an  outlet.  And 
the  discharge  of  that  surplus  energy  gives  pleasure  provided  it  is 
voluntary. 

Of  course  what  is  compulsory  and  therefore  painful  to  begin 
with,  may,  if  we  are  strong  enough,  change  into  voluntary  and 
therefore  pleasurable  activities. 

In  what  line  our  activities  shall  be  directed  depends  not  alone 
on  our  character  or  natural  inclinations  or  our  surroundings,  but 
to  a  great  extent  on  this:  Has  this  occupation  been  the  general 
work  of  slaves?  Any  work,  however,  that  is  done  voluntarily  is 
by  that  act  cleansed  from  the  taint  that  thralldom  gave  it.  Slavery 
itself  is  glorified  if  it  is  voluntary.  It  is  then  called  devotion. 
Although  we  may  doubt  the  wisdom  of  such  devotion,  we  all  admire 
those  who  sacrifice  their  lives  for  a  cause,  or  surrender  themselves 
to  the  will  of  God,  provided  it  is  done  in  utter  sincerity.  Why 
then  should  it  be  anything  degrading  in  feeling  the  same  toward 
a  living  person  or  in  telling  him  or  her :  You  can  do  as  you  please 
with  me. 

But  it  shall  take  us  a  long  time  before  the  blemishes  that  the 
use  of  the  tool  slavery  gave  us,  shall  be  entirely  eradicated  from 
our  character  and  give  us  a  free  choice  to  do  what  we  really  like 
to  do. 

To  will  makes  us  free.  It  does  not  matter  what  we  do  so  long 
as  we  will  it. 

To  run  a  saloon  or  a  Sunday  school  or  take  active  part  in  any 
institution,  saves  us  from  ennui,  the  painful  sensation  of  not  know- 
ing what  to  do,  and  gives  us  pleasure  in  exact  proportion  to  the 
interest  we  take  in  it. 

But  as  we  outgrow  the  Sunday  school  and  take  no  interest 
in  the  saloon,  so  it  may  be  in  regard  to  many  other  things.  They 
become  matters  of  indifference  to  us.  Then  our  soul  is  dead  or 
rather  it  is  dormant  like  the  seed  in  the  ground  during  the  winter 
season,  waiting  for  a  new  spring-time  that  shall  awaken  its  will,  and 
call  forth  its  slumbering  energies. 

This  change  from  not  willing  to  willing  is  nothing  but  the  old 
miracle  of  conversion  or  rebirth,  and  probably,  like  all  births,  a 
painful  process,  an  act  of  despair.  It  is  a  leap  in  the  dark — into 
a  world  of  light,  activity,  expansion.    And  faith  comes  with  doing, 


16  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

a  faith  that  moves  mountains.     Or  rather,  it  gives  us  the  v^ings  that 
shall  carry  us  tliither  to  the  Mount  of  Transfiguration. 

KINGS  AND  SHEPHERDS 

The  industrial  warfare  calls  for  kings. 

We  cannot  do  very  well  without  kings.  Man  by  nature  is  a 
herding  animal,  and  as  such  requires  a  leader  of  some  sort,  a  head- 
man or  chief,  or,  as  we  prefer,  a  king.  When  the  real  king  dis- 
appears we  get  substitutes  of  all  kinds :  Czars,  Constitutional  Mon- 
archs,  Popes,  Bishops,  and  an  innumerable  brood  of  bosses,  political, 
commercial,  industrial. 

What  then  are  the  real  kings,  the  kings  wanted  for  our  Utopias  ? 
So  long  is  it  now  since  they  passed  away  that  merely  to  form  a 
correct  idea  of  their  character  is  no  easy  task,  and  to  bring  them 
into  existence  seems  like  an  attempt  to  bring  into  existence  an  ex- 
tinct race.  Indeed,  to  get  a  true  idea  of  a  real  king,  we  must  go 
back  to  a  prehistoric  age  when  man  was  a  herding  animal  and 
nothing  more. 

In  that  long  ago  the  individual  who  forced  himself  to  the  front 
became  the  leader  or  king.  Will,  and  ability  to  face  all  dangers  and 
overcome  all  obstacles,  to  be  foremost  in  all  battles  against  animals 
and  hostile  tribes  constituted  the  only  title  to  kingship.  And  no  one 
disputed  a  title  obtained  in  this  way,  neither  did  any  one  doubt  the 
necessity  of  having  kings  so  long  as  the  life  of  man  was  a  continual 
warfare. 

The  king  of  that  time  had  to  be  aggressive,  and  all  his  energies 
were  directed  outward.  While  he  was  the  head  and  ahead  of  the 
others  he  nevertheless  remained  at  one  with  his  followers  in  will, 
in  aspirations  and  general  interests. 

And  by  word  and  example  he  gave  the  herd  courage  and  good 
cheer. 

Peace,  we  shall  assume,  brought  about  a  degeneration  of  kings. 
And  in  time  of  peace  another  leader,  or  rather  driver,  appeared — 
a  rival  and  opponent  to  the  king  and  his  men,  a  perverted  king 
who  we  shall  name  the  shcphei\i. 

The  shepherd's  will  is  directed  inward;  that  is,  toward  the 
flock  which  he  seeks  to  tame,  to  subdue,  to  civilize;  in  other  words, 
to  make  obedient  to  his  will  or  law. 

To  plant  fear  in  the  heart  of  the  people,  and  through  fear  gain 
dominion  over  them,  is  his  main  concern.  And  the  means  employed 
to  that  end  are  principally  the  forces  of  superstitution,  the  mysteri- 
ous, the  unknown. 

With  the  shepherd  sin  came  into  this  world,  the  torments  of 
peace  and  the  loathsome  diseases  of  the  fold. 


THE  CLOUDS  17 

"Show  me  a  sinner  in  the  world  still  if  no  one  needs  to  do 
what  suits  a  superior."  Thus  spake  Max  Stirner,  and  St.  Paul 
expresses  the  same  thought:  "Where  no  law  is,  there  is  no  trans- 
gression." This  theory  has  been  tested  and  found  true:  In  Sparta 
there  was  no  law  against  adultery — and  in  Sparta  no  adultery. 

The  king  represents  the  liberating  spirit :  /  ivill.  And  the 
shepherd  the  crushing:  Thou  shalt. 

Under  different  names  we  always  find  these  two  opposing 
powers  represented.  Among  the  red  Indians  the  chief  and  the 
medicine  man ;  among  the  Egyptians  the  pharaoh  and  the  magician. 

Among  us  the  shepherd  element  dominates.  Of  that  element 
we  have  not  only  the  priesthoods  of  the  different  Christian  de- 
nominations, but  also  the  Jewish  rabbis  and  the  high  priests  of 
ancient  and  modern  cults.  To  these  we  can  add  most  of  the  secret 
societies  and  benevolent  associations.  But  this  by  no  means  in- 
cludes the  entire  shepherd  element.  Most  political  parties,  especial- 
ly the  prohibition  party,  are  shepherdly  in  spirit.  The  Republic 
itself  as  a  restraining  and  civilizing  agency  is  a  shepherd;  the  only 
shepherd,  by  the  way,  recognized  by  Utopians. 

The  king  element  is  most  strikingly  represented  by  members 
of  the  capitalistic  class.  Instinctively  we  speak  of  railroad  kings, 
cattle  kings,  cotton  kings,  etc.  If  we  have  in  mind  that  the  function 
of  the  original  king  was  to  plan  and  execute  a  raid,  and  if  successful, 
to  divide  the  spoil  with  his  followers,  we  find  it  easy  to  identify 
him  with  merchant  princes.  Napoleons  of  finance  and  captains  of 
industry.  They  are  kings,  all  right,  but  if  I  sit  not  in  their  council 
and  above  all,  if  I  have  no  share  in  the  dividends,  they  are  not  my 
kings.  If  we,  as  Utopians,  always  insist  on  this  point  ,we  shall  not 
be  far  amiss  in  our  creations  of  real  kings. 

An  incident  in  the  life  of  Alexander  throws  light  on  the  char- 
acter of  a  true  king  and  also  reveals  the  fact  that  the  king  element 
of  today  is  not  up  to  the  heroic  standard,  which  necessarily  must 
also  be  the  Utopian  standard.  It  is  told  of  him  that  one  time  he 
with  his  army  crossed  a  desert,  and  that  all  of  them  suffered  ter- 
ribly from  thirst.  They  tried  to  find  water,  and  finally  found  just 
enough  to  fill  a  helmet.  This  they  carried  to  their  king.  Did 
Alexander  drink  it?  No.  Alexander  was  great,  Alexander  was 
a  hero.  So  he  poured  the  water  out  in  the  sand  because  he  would 
not  fare  better  than  his  soldiers. 

Did  the  captains  of  industry  ever  do  anything  like  that?  Did 
they  ever  starve  themselves  because  they  would  not  have  a  better 
time  than  the  men  working  for  them,  when  over-production  set 
in,  work  was  slack  and  people  suffered  from  want  of  food?  Not 
to  my  knowledge.     No.     The  captains  of  industry  may  be  great 


18  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

and  in  many  respects  better  than  most  people,  but  they  are  not 
heroes.     Not  yet. 

Alexander  wept  because  there  were  no  more  worlds  to  conquer. 
In  this  we  know  now  that  he  was  mistaken.  There  are  ever  new 
worlds  to  be  discovered  or  created,  and  barriers  to  be  broken,  and 
a  never-ending  battle  against  the  "Thou  shalt  not"  set  by  shepherds. 
But  his  tears  reveal  that  a  true  king  seeks  glory,  not  possessions. 

The  dream  of  empire  is  a  shepherd's  dream. 

In  the  sporting  world  we  shall  find  characters  identical  to 
those  of  the  kings  wanted  in  Utopias.  The  creation  of  ideal  com- 
monwealths, by  the  way,  should  rightly  be  considered  as  a  new 
sport,  or  as  a  revival  of  an  old  art.  The  original  royal  art  is 
to  create  kingdoms.  A  social  readjustment  approached  in  that  spirit 
would  gain  the  benefit  of  the  enthusiasm  that  naturally  goes  with 
all  play,  and  the  interest  of  outsiders  also,  who  would  be  wondering 
how  it  would  come  out.  It  shall  also  free  us  from  the  spirit  of 
fanaticism  so  easily  aroused  when  the  religious  sides  of  social  ques- 
tions are  foremost  in  our  minds,  and  also  the  ugly  spirit  engendered 
when  the  economic  side  is  given  undue  prominence. 

Glory  and  the  very  joy  of  the  play  animate  the  leaders  in  the 
sporting  world.  Here  we  also  get  a  clue  to  the  selection  of  kings, 
and  the  relations  between  him  and  his  men  which  must  prevail  in 
Utopias :  Must,  because  it  is  the  ideal. 

One  intensely  interested  in  baseball,  football  or  any  other  game 
naturally  looks  for  an  opportunity  to  join  a  team.  Failing  in  this, 
perhaps  he  decides  to  start  one  himself  and  then  looks  for  players. 
Or  there  may  be  several  interested  in  the  game  who  then  set  about 
to  find  a  captain. 

So  long  as  the  play  is  the  thing  and  no  outside  power  inter- 
feres, no  trouble  is  experienced  in  assigning  to  each  player  the 
part  to  which  he  is  best  fitted. 

Titles  not  earned  do  not  count  in  the  sporting  world,  neither 
shall  they  do  so  in  Utopias ;  in  this  respect  they  are  thoroughly 
democratic. 

So,  also,  in  the  realm  of  art,  ability  is  the  only  thing  that 
counts.  Imagine  the  roles  in  a  grand  opera  played  by  the  sons 
and  daughters  of  great  singers  instead  of  by  those  naturally  fitted 
for  those  parts,  what  kind  of  performance  would  tliat  be? 

When  kingship  became  hereditary  it  was  doomed.  It  was 
dead  in  the  first  generation. 

The  Spartans  "perceived  that  their  kings  had  only  the  outward 
appendages  of  royalty,  but  in  nothing  else  differed  from  the  mul- 


THE  CLOUDS  19 

titude;  whereas  Lycurgus  had  abilities  from  nature  to  guide  the 
measures  of  government;  and  powers  of  persuasion,  that  drew  the 
hearts  of  men  to  him." 

And  so  it  is  always.  The  natural  leader  needs  no  artificial 
means  to  make  his  orders  obeyed.  Neither  does  he  need  to  create 
an  artificial  distance  between  himself  and  his  men  in  order  tP 
increase  his  authority.  His  authority  is  rather  augmented  by  his 
freely  associating  with  his  people  on  terms  of  equality. 

Kings  wanted :  This  is  opportunity  now  knocking  at  the  door. 
This  is  what  many  a  man,  who  wanted  to  do  something,  but  did 
not  know  what  to  do,  has  been  waiting  for.  Once  more  it  shall 
be  possible,  as  it  was  in  a  forgotten  past,  to  choose  kingship  as  a 
career. 

UNITS 

The  unit  of  our  Republic  is  the  Individual.  The  individual  is 
King.  The  King  is  one  who  can.  And  in  our  republic  we  can  be- 
cause we  are  free. 

This  is  easy  to  say  and  easy  to  admit  in  an  ofif  hand  way,  but 
hard  to  realize.  But  few  are  able  to  grasp  the  full  import  of  this 
idea.  For  our  minds  are  dominated  to  a  great  extent  by  ideas  and 
ideals  of  earlier  attempts  at  civilization,  where  the  individual  was 
closely  bound  to  family,  tribe,  gods,  etc. 

The  right  to  own  property,  the  right  to  assemble,  the  right  to 
express  our  opinions,  are  individual  rights.  We  are  at  liberty  to 
found  or  join  a  family,  a  church,  a  fraternity,  a  corporation,  but 
none  of  these  creations  can  ever  become  a  unit  of  our  Republic. 
And  no  individual  can  be  owned  or  held  in  bondage  by  any  other 
man  or  body  of  men. 

The  Declaration  of  Independence  reads :  "We  hold  these  truths 
to  be  selfevident  that  all  men  are  created  equal;  that  they  are  en- 
dowed by  their  creator  with  certain  inalienable  rights;  that  among 
those  are  life,  liberty  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness." 

And  we  may  search  all  scriptures,  sacred  and  profane,  we  shall 
never  find  a  principle  formulated  on  which  organized  society  can 
more  securely  rest. 

It  is  in  accordance  with  the  natural  order.  Nowhere  in  nature 
do  we  find  any  special  privileges  bestowed  upon  any  specie,  or  any 
favoritism  shown  by  any  class  or  individual.  And  while  civilization 
and  the  institutions  of  civilization,  including  the  Republic,  is  an  im- 
position on  the  natural  order  by  the  human  will  made  possible  by 
intelligence;  this  will  and  intelligence  and  the  civilization  resulting, 


20  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

is  an  outgrowth  of  the  natural  order,  and  we  cannot,  with  impunity, 
violate  the  law  governing  all  life.  This  law  is  growth ;  a  tendency 
towards  differentiation  as  a  means  to  an  endless  readjustment. 

If  the  republic  of  our  own  making  shall  endure,  we  must  give 
individuals  of  the  most  various  types  an  opportunity  to  have  it  their 
own  way,  and  facilitate  changes  in  customs  or  morals  to  meet  the 
demand  of  individuals. 

As  social  beings,  we  must,  of  course,  modify  our  conduct  so 
as  to  make  association  possible.  This  modified  conduct  in  former 
days  grew  into  customs  or  moral  codes  hard  to  break.  In  fact  it 
was  the  chief  concern  of  the  famous  law  givers  to  make  their  codes 
unbreakable ;  that  is,  fixed  and  eternal.  Opposed  to  this  is  the  idea 
of  democracy  which  demands  that  we  shall  change  our  laws  to 
suit  ourselves. 

Although  we  hold  that  the  Republic  is  the  highest  form  of 
national  organization,  the  highest  because  it  was  created  to  secure 
freedom  for  the  individual,  we  are  not  blind  to  the  fact  that  it 
must  suffer  from  the  defects  inherent  in  all  organizations.  No 
sooner  do  we  declare  that  we  are  born  with  equal  rights  ere  we 
are  reminded  that  we  are  no  two  of  us  born  alike  in  other  respects. 
We  don't  feel  alike,  let  alone  think  alike,  and  our  views  differ.  To 
lay  down  rules  that  shall  suit  everybody  is  as  impossible  for  the 
majority  that  theoretically  rules  a  Republic  as  it  was  for  Kings 
and  Gods  or  their  Priests.  And,  of  course,  this  letting  a  ma- 
jority decide  what  laws  shall  be  enacted  or  repealed  is  a  violation 
of  the  principles  of  equality.  It  amounts  to  a  special  privilege  of 
the  majority,  but  again,  of  course,  it  rests  with  me,  the  individual, 
to  influence  this  majority  or  the  public  opinion  of  which  it  is  an 
expression,  or  in  other  ways  make  it  act  in  conformity  with  my 
wishes.  And  by  limiting  the  sphere  of  action,  and  thereby  the 
power  of  the  majority,  as  already  done  in  regard  to  religion, 
so  it  can  not  interfere  with  a  man's  religious  opinions,  most  of  this 
defect  is  obliterated.  And  by  limiting  the  power  of  majorities  to 
decide  what  our  morals  or  customs  shall  be,  and  to  the  same  extent, 
expand  the  sphere  of  action  of  individuals,  we  shall  come  close 
to  perfection. 

A  majority  will  surely  agree  that  in  matters  properly  within 
its  sphere  we  rather  trust  a  majority  than  any  single  individual, 
be  he  ever  so  great,  or  a  minority  though  it  be  composed  of  the  best 
people.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  republics  compare  favorably  with 
monarchies,  absolute  or  constitutional,  and  it  can  be  truly  said  that 
nations  today  are  great  to  the  degree  that  they  have  adopted  free 
constitutions. 


THE  CLOUDS  21 

A  highly  developed  nervous  system  as  it  were,  that  enables 
every  one  to  record  his  experience,  and  in  a  measure  change  the 
public  mind  and  alter  its  policy  in  accordance  with  the  widest  ex- 
perience, marks  the  superiority  of  democracy  over  all  other  forms 
of  organized  society. 

The  experience  of  one  individual  or  a  class  of  individuals  is 
only  partial,  and  to  the  extent  it  is  partial  it  is  defective.  In 
aristocracies  only  a  part  of  the  social  body  is  in  touch  with  the 
social  will  by  recording  its  sensations  of  pain  and  pleasure. 

Now  to  cut  the  nerves  from  the  lower  limbs  of  the  social  body 
may  temporarily  save  those  who  are  more  favorably  situated  from 
many  painful  sensations,  but  utterly  ignoring  these  sensations  must 
sooner  or  later  prove  disastrous. 

The  famous  image  which  a  King  saw  in  his  dream  had  a  head 
of  fine  gold,  breast  of  silver,  belly  of  brass  and  legs  of  iron.  But 
the  feet  were  part  of  iron  and  part  clay.  Although  this  material 
of  which  the  feet  were  made  suggests  re-enforced  concrete  it  is  in 
reality  a  poor  material  to  stand  upon,  even  for  an  image  and  it 
fell  when  an  invisible  stone  coming  from  nowhere,  hit  its  feet. 
For  clay  is  not  cement  and  human  clay  especially  is  apt  to  give 
away  any  time  and  unless  the  feet  be  looked  after  and  the  pres- 
sure relieved,  our  Iron  Age  shall  come  to  an  end. 

We  know  from  experience  that  it  hurts  us  just  as  much  to 
stub  our  toes  as  it  does  to  bump  our  head.  Yet  favored  classes 
always  insist  that  the  unfortunate  are  lacking  in  sensitiveness  even 
at  times  insisting  that  these  latter  have  no  souls. 

Where  women  are  degraded  and  held  as  property  it  is  also 
held  that  they  have  no  souls.  And  anyone  who  has  read  the  argu- 
ments will  admit  that  it  is  just  as  easy  to  prove  that  woman  has 
no  soul  as  it  is  to  prove  that  man  really  has  one.  Recently  I  read 
an  able  argument  in  favor  of  the  theory  that  children  have  no  souls 
in  the  proper  sense  of  that  word.  An  unconscious  effort,  perhaps, 
to  justify  child  labor. 

That  woman  in  our  republic  has  not  the  full  franchise  is  a 
remnant  of  the  morals  of  lower  stages  of  civilization,  and  a  re- 
minder that  we  are  unable  as  yet  to  live  up  to  its  principles. 

The  right  to  vote  does  not  imply  that  it  is  our  duty  to  vote  on 
any  or  all  questions.  Rather,  it  must  be  our  duty  not  to  vote  upon 
questions  with  which  we  are  not  familiar  or  for  candidates  of 
whom  we  do  not  know  anything,  and  whose  election  does  not  con- 
cern us  in  the  least. 

Woman  most  likely  would  abstain  from  voting  in  many  in- 
stances, but  that  does  not  invalidate  her  right,  and  her  duty  also,  to 


22  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

vote  on  questions  vitally  affecting  herself,  or  on  issues  touching  on 
phases  of  public  life  where  she  may  have  more  experience  and 
CJ»nsequently  more  knowledge  than  man. 

Equal  rights  for  men  and  women  does  not  mean  that  men 
and  women  ought  to  be  occupied  with  the  same  work  privately,  or 
fill  the  same  positions  in  public  life,  although  they  have  the  liberty 
to  do  so.  There  is  some  work  more  natural  to  women,  and  some 
fasks  to  which  men  are  better  adapted. 

The  hearthstone  was  the  original  center  of  all  communities,  and, 
generally  speaking,  the  kitchen  is  woman's  place.  Man's  place  is 
in  the  field  of  action.  The  hearthstone  or  home  to  him  is  only  a 
place  of  rest.  But  as  the  home  circle  widens  so  as  to  include  the 
whole  nation,  woman's  sphere,  the  kitchen,  should  expand  with  it. 
and  it  would  help  vts  greatly  to  form  a  true  idea  of  our  republic 
if  woman  were  elected  to  fill  all  the  offices  and  tend  to  the  routine 
business.  So  long  as  men  fill  these  positions  and  perform  these 
functions  it  clings  to  them,  and  to  us  the  idea  and  sentiment  in- 
herited from  absolutism,  that  they  are  rules  not  servants.  And  so 
long  as  that  sentiment  prevails  few  can  realize  that  I,  the  individual, 
am  King. 

It  is  outside  our  immediate  aim,  and  aim  already  indicated, 
namely  to  create  Utopias,  but  in  passing  let  us  for  a  moment  con- 
sider the  principles  of  democracy  applied  to  the  movement  for 
universal  peace. 

We  shall  never  have  peace  so  long  as  we  have  the  powers, 
that  is,  an  oligarchy  among  nations,  but  only  a  dream  of  peace.  It 
is  the  dream  of  the  powers  that  be,  as  it  is  of  absolutism,  and  as  it 
was  of  the  Roman  Empire  and  the  Roman  Church.  To  subject 
all  people  to  one  power  and  by  this  subjugation  bring  about  uni- 
versal peace  has  been  the  aim  of  all  the  powers  above  mentioned, 
but  this  very  aim  necessarily  brings  about  war  and  not  peace. 

Otherwise  is  the  democratic  idea  applied  to  international  af- 
fairs. It  means  that  each  nation  regardless  of  its  size  or  popula- 
tion shall  have  an  equal  vote  both  in  the  making  of  international 
laws,  and  in  the  deciding  of  cases  brought  before  an  international 
court. 

This  idea  that  each  country  shall  have  an  equal  say  in 
world  politics  regardless  of  the  size  of  territory  and  number  of 
inhabitants,  strikes  one  at  first  as  unreasonable.  So  it  seems  un- 
reasonable to  many,  even  in  countries  where  democracy  is  estab- 
lished, that  the  vote  of  a  millionaire  shall  count  no  more  than 
that  of  a  common  laborer.  This,  however,  is  the  idea  of  democracy 
that  it  is  the  individual,  in  this  case  nations,  that  counts  regardless 
of  riches,  religion  or  race. 


THE  CLOUDS  23 

If  size  gave  no  special  privilege  or  power  war  for  the  acquisi- 
tion of  other  people's  territory  would  cease,  and  empires  would 
dissolve  into  their  component  parts,  that  is  into  aggregations  of 
people  who  feel  themselves  as  a  separate  nation. 

As  examples  of  people  who  have  had  to  struggle  these  many 
years  to  retain  their  individuality,  simply  because  they  had  neigh- 
bors bigger  than  themselves  we  could  mention  Finland,  Poland, 
Ireland,  and  a  great  many  more.  An  international  court  might 
even  decide  in  favor  of  restoring  Palestine  to  the  Jews,  provided 
it  could  be  done  with  the  consent  of  and  without  injury  to  the 
people  now  occuping  that  land. 

Laws  and  courts  are  nothing  unless  there  is  a  power  to  enforce 
the  decisions,  and  only  the  combined  forces  of  all  nations  are  able 
to  insure  such  an  enforcement. 

According  to  democratic  principles  the  expenses  incurred  by 
conducting  international  affairs,  including  bringing  delinquent  na- 
tions to  terms,  should  be  borne  equally  by  all  nations  in  exact  pro- 
portion to  their  population. 

The  unification  of  all  nations  by  the  principle  of  democracy  is 
a  fascinating  idea ;  though  it  be  only  a  dream,  it  kindles  in  our  hearts 
an  earthly  ambition  to  make  our  globe  the  greenest  and  fairest  of 
all  worlds,  and  to  make  the  social  condition  on  earth  the  envy  of 
the  universe. 

After  this  digression  we  shall  go  back  to  our  Republic.  And 
this  is  the  weakness  of  republics  that  they,  as  such,  do  not  suf- 
ficiently stimulate  or  give  play  to  imagination,  leaving  the  creative 
faculty  to  be  occupied  and  the  mind  to  be  filled  with  images  and 
sentiments  more  or  less  foreign  or  antagonistic  to  its  principles. 

As  earth  needs  an  atmosphere  in  order  to  sustain  life,  the 
Republic  needs  a  heaven  reflecting  its  ideals,  a  heaven  fostering 
social  forms  wherein  individuals  imbued  by  its  spirit  shall  flourish 
and  in  turn  support  it. 

The  importance  of  the  atmosphere  cannot  be  overestimated, 
though  it  appears  to  be  filled  only  with  mist,  rainbows  and  drifting 
clouds.  Is  it  not  the  mould  into  which  the  stream  of  life  is  poured? 
And  are  we  not  formed  according  to  its  conditions?  What  is  any 
civilization  but  a  more  or  less  artificial  heaven?  And  in  this,  imag- 
ination more  than  reason  dominates  and  decides  the  outcome. 

The  power  of  this  atmosphere  to  determine  the  form  and  in 
consequence  thereof  the  characters  of  individuals  within  that  at- 
mosphere was  recently  shown  by  a  Scientist  who  ascertained  that 
the  skull  of  the  children  of  emigrants  coming  to  this  country  in- 
cluding those  born  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic  were  altered 
so  as  to  conform  to  an  American  type.    And  when  we  consider  the 


24  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

sameness  of  the  innnumerable  influences  that  hourly,  daily  and 
yearly  press  upon  and  floats  through  the  minds  of  the  young,  we 
do  not  wonder  at  this,  and,  in  our  republic  especially,  this  tendency 
to  produce  a  uniform  type  must  be  considered  beneficial.  But 
carried  too  far  it  shall  crush  out  all  individuality  and  with  it  th" 
only  material  able  to  sustain  free  institutions. 

To  counteract  this  tendency  somewhat  and  facilitate  a  more 
free  formation  of  character,  the  new  social  forms  which  we  have 
named  Utopias  should  prove  efficient,  filling  the  function  of  families, 
churches,  fraternities,  etc.,  but  different  from  these. 

The  republic  is  not  an  Utopia,  perhaps  it  was  not  so  conceived 
to  be.  To  US  it  is  like  a  sea  wherein  Utopias  may  appear  and  again 
be  dissolved,  and  not  only  Utopias  but  all  other  organizations  lesser 
than  itself  can  therein  come  to  be  and  again  be  dissolved  into  its 
component  parts,  that  is  into  individuals. 

As  a  characteristic  that  differentiates  Utopians  from  the  mem- 
bers of  most  associations,  we  shall  point  out  that  the  missionary 
spirit  is  not  in  us.  We  have  no  salvation  to  offer,  only  a  hard 
task  for  those  who  are  idle  and  who  are  aching  for  something  to  do. 
Black  sheep  of  the  families,  heretics,  nonconformists  or  lost  souls 
generally,  and  to  this  class  Utopians  shall  recommend  themselves. 

They  should  also  recommend  themselves  to  others.  Based  on 
the  principles  of  the  Republic  and  dependent  on  free  institutions, 
they  should  in  time  of  trouble  prove  its  strength  and  stay. 

The  family  is  not  dependent  on  the  Republic.  In  fact  the 
family  institution,  by  causing  all  wealth  to  be  accumulated  into 
the  hands  of  a  few  families  has  been  the  bane  of  all  republics 
until  now,  and  while  families  thrive  just  as  well  and  better  under 
absolutism  their  endurance  under  democracy  shall  depend  on  some 
counteracting  influence  to  hold  them  in  check,  otherwise  they  shall 
be  consumed  by  their  own  avarice. 

The  appearance  of  Utopias,  by  clearing  the  atmosphere,  ought 
to  be  beneficial  to  religious  bodies,  provided  they  are  not  of  a 
nature  that  require  foul  air,  poverty  and  a  breath  of  the  slums. 
The  only  genuine  members  of  the  religious  cults  are  the  Orthodox, 
those  who  honestly  believe  in  their  creeds  and  doctrines.  A  liberal 
christian  or  Jew,  for  example,  is  only  a  second  class  christian  or 
Jew,  how  excellent  they  otherwise  may  be,  or  probably  or  more 
often  only  a  common  hypocrite.  No  Orthodox  creed  holds  out  any 
hope  for  such,  nor  are  they  honored  among  heretics.  It  seems  then 
that  Utopias  should  offer  an  opportunity  for  the  lukewarm  to  find 
or  create  a  place  where  they  could  be  true  to  themselves,  and  also 


THE  CLOUDS  25 

gain  the  esteem  of  their  fellowmen.  At  the  same  time  the  Orthodox 
would  get  rid  of  their  dead  members,  and  in  consequence  thereof 
shine  forth  in  all  their  purity. 

Protestants  and  many  others  consider  Catholicism  a  menace 
to  the  Republic,  but  so  is  Protestantism,  too,  a  menace  when  it 
has  for  its  object  to  make  of  ours  a  Christian  republic. 

There  can  be  no  such  thing  as  a  Christian  republic,  as  there  can 
be  no  Mormon  or  Mohammedan  republics,  for  all  these  cults  are 
only  branches  of  the  same  tree,  Judaism,  and  the  social  ideal  of 
Judaism  is  a  theocracy,  the  rule  of  a  hereditary  priesthood  in  the 
name  of  and  by  the  authority  of  an  invisible  God  according  to  re- 
vealed and  therefore,  unchangeable  laws. 

The  prevailing  sentiment  in  our  Republic  is  christian,  but  the 
hatred  of  christian  sects  for  one  another,  a  hatred  characteristic 
of  all  sects  that  have  their  origin  in  Judaism,  saves  the  situation. 
If  one  becomes  dominant  our  Republic  is  doomed.  But  the  church 
has  had  its  day  or  rather  its  night  and  the  memory  of  the  horrors 
of  that  night  shall  forever  prevent  it  from  again  coming  into  abso- 
lute power. 

With  more  apprehension  must  lovers  of  liberty  view  socialism. 
As  there  can  be  no  christian  republic,  neither  can  there  be  any 
socialistic  republic.  Socialism  is  only  the  latest  phase  of  Judaism 
and  therefore  places  the  authority  outside  the  individual.  We  are 
supposed  to  surrender  to  class  consciousness  pure  and  simple,  as 
formerly  to  the  laws  authorized  by  Jehovah  or  Allah.  Perfect 
obedience  to  authority  constitutes  the  perfect  man.  Self-sacrifice, 
not  self-assertion  is  the  supreme  virtue. 

Although  Socialists  ignore  the  religious  question,  something 
like  a  theocracy  under  socialism  is  more  than  likely,  and  for  this, 
perhaps,  the  socialist  party  is  preparing  the  body  and  the  great 
universities,  the  soul.  Who  should  be  more  fitted  for  a  priesthood 
than  the  scientist?  And,  if  what  some  professors  propose  to  do 
is  any  indication  of  what  a  priesthood  of  scientists  would  do  in  the 
name  of  science,  when  they  shall  have  the  power,  what  a  religious 
priesthood  did  in  the  name  of  God  when  they  had  the  power,  will 
be  as  child's  play  in  comparison. 

The  idea  of  an  absolute  ruler  is  as  yet  absent  in  the  socialist 
movement.  But  when  ardent  socialists  at  last  realize  that  the  ma- 
jority needed  to  carry  out  this  program  does  not  materialize,  who 
can  doubt  that  they  shall  welcome  the  strong  man  who  shall  be  able 
to  inaugurate  the  co-operative  commonwealth  ?  And  who  can  doubt 
that  some  new  Constantine  shall  arise?     Taking  advantage  of  the 


26  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

situation,  he  shall  write  upon  the  blood-red  banner  of  socialism, 
"In  hoc  signo  vinces"  and  established  some  form  of  despotism  in 
spite  of  all  precautions. 

Perhaps  socialism  is  destined  to  play  the  same  part  in  a  night 
to  come  as  Christianity  during  the  dark  ages  when  the  church  played 
the  ghost  in  the  ruins  of  a  republic. 

Even  so,  let  not  your  heart  be  troubled,  night  has  a  beauty, 
all  its  own.  Dreams  too,  sometimes  are  beautiful,  and  after  the 
darkest  night,  at  last  comes  Lucifer,  the  son  of  the  morning,  and 
in  the  fullness  of  time,  Utopias. 

Meanwhile  we  shall  endeavor  to  preserve  the  machinery  of 
free  institutions,  and  there  is  no  immediate  danger  of  losing  the 
forms,  though  the  spirt  be  lost  already.  And  remember  our  decla- 
ration of  independence. 

Washington,  D.  C.  is  our  holy  city,  not  Rome  or  Jerusalem, 
still  less  Mecca  or  Benares.  The  Constitution  of  the  United  States 
is  our  Book  of  Laws,  not  the  Bible,  or  the  Roman  Laws.  We  may 
have  borrowed  from  these  and  other  sources.  But  so  did  the  na- 
tions that  were  before  us  borrow  from  the  customs  of  still  earlier 
social  forms.  Before  God  on  the  summit  of  Mt.  Sinai  gave  to 
Moses  the  great  commandment,  "Thou  shalt  not  kill,''  there  must 
have  been  a  law  against  murder,  because  Moses  himself,  long  before 
that  time  had  to  flee  from  Egypt  because  he  had  killed  a  citizen 
of  that  country. 

Although  Washington,  D.  C.  is  the  sacred  heart  of  our  social 
anatomy  and  holy  unto  us  as  the  center  of  our  national  life,  it  is 
not  the  seat  of  a  ruler  nor  the  place  of  an  imperial  court.  It 
performs  its  functions  automatically  and  impartially,  within  the 
limit  set  by  the  will  of  free  individuals  operating  in  the  periphery- 
Our  courts  are  with  the  people  and  our  kings  are  in  the  firing  line. 

The  possible  bloom  or  final  fruit  of  Judaism,  the  Kingdom  of 
Heaven  in  earth  is  not  in  opposition  to  the  Republic ;  on  the  con- 
trary its  coming  depends  on  the  establishment  of  free  institutions 
and  on  the  subordination  of  all  forms  of  theocracy,  Jewish,  Chris- 
tian, Mohammedan,  IMormon,  including  aristocracies  of  birth  or 
wealth. 

For  all  these  forms  assume  that  individuals  should  be  ruled 
from  above,  from  without,  and  not  from  the  heart  or  from  within. 
In  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven,  in  our  Father's  Home  where  there 
are  many  mansions,  we  can  go  in  and  out  and  be  as  children. 
There  we  have  absolute  freedom.  In  the  Republic  this  freedom  is 
necessarily  limited  to  the  extent  that  it  shall  not  interfere  with  the 
equal  freedom  of  others.  But  the  principles  of  the  Republic  and 
of  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  are  the  same. 


THE  CLOUDS  27 

THE  HERITAGE  AND  THE  HEIRS 

If  wealth  accumulates  and  men  decay  we  should  not  worry. 
Enough  to  know  that  the  wealth  is  there.  If  we  ourselves  are  not 
decayed  it  is  ours  to  have  and  to  hold.  Though  it  be  not  in  our 
hands  at  present,  with  the  help  of  our  superior,  wealth  accumulat- 
ing device,  Utopias  namely,  it  shall  be  ours  some  day.  In  anticipa- 
tion, the  joy  of  possession  is  ours  already. 

Generally  speaking,  a  man  is  the  rightful  heir  to  all  he  can 
get  hold  of.  How  much  that  shall  be  depends  on  the  strength  of 
his  desires  and  on  his  natural  endowment  and  on  the  same  qualities 
in  his  co-heirs.  In  other  words,  all  wealth  belongs  to  the  living 
and  among  the  living  to  those  who  are  most  full  of  life. 

For  the  sake  of  convenience  we  shall  divide  all  wealth  into 
three  classes :  Material,  mental  and  moral.  And  for  the  benefit  of 
Utopians  give  a  few  examples  of  who  in  our  opinion  are  the  rightful 
heirs  to  different  kinds  of  wealth. 

The  true  heir  to  the  capital  of  a  capitalist,  for  instance,  is  the 
man  of  enterprise.  His  son  after  the  flesh  may  be  that  man,  but 
again  he  may  not.  If  he  be  a  miser  or  a  spendthrift  or  a  man  of 
only  ordinary  ability  and  ambition  there  are  various  and  obvious 
reasons  why  he  should  not  inherit  any  capital  worth  speaking  of. 

The  true  heir  to  the  best  violin  in  the  whole  world  is  the  best 
performer  on  that  instrument  living,  regardless  of  blood  relation- 
ship. And  so  we  could  go  down  the  whole  list,  but  enough  to  say : 
The  true  heirs  to  all  tools  are  those  who  can  and  will  use  them. 
Further  we  shall  note  that  lives  of  great  men  all  remind  us  that 
genius  for  doing  great  things  is  not  hereditary,  neither  is  the 
genius  for  doing  ordinary  work  hereditary.  Further  still,  his- 
tory records  that  statesmen,  generals,  scientists,  artists,  inventors, 
manufacturers,  merchants,  great  men  in  all  fields  of  endeavor,  have 
sprung  from  all  classes  of  society. 

Nothing  seems  more  reasonable  then  than  that  the  benefits  of 
these  men's  endeavors  should  be  the  heritage  of  all  classes.  But 
here  as  among  individluals  the  class  that  takes  hold  of  and  utilizes 
what  men  of  former  generations  have  wrought  are  the  true  heirs. 

The  mental  wealth,  that  is  the  accumulated  knowledge  or  the 
experience  of  our  race  as  writen  down  in  books  is  accessible  almost 
everywhere  and  practically  free  to  everybody.  Consequently  this 
wealth  gives  not  much  cause  for  quarrels  among  the  heirs.  To 
be  sure  anxious  shepherds  at  times  try  to  prevent  their  flocks 
from  taking  hold  of  this  heritage.  So  they  put  their  ban  on  the 
reading  of  certain  books.  But  often,  as  the  shepherds  themselves 
now  seem  to  be  aware,   to   forbid  the  reading  of  a  book  tempts 


28  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

people  to  devour  it,  even  those  who  do  not  Hke  it  and  therefore 
ought  not  to  read  it.  Being  aware  of  this,  they  try  another  method, 
namely  to  put  up  a  list  of  seven  or  twelve  or  any  other  holy  number 
of  books  as  the  best.  The  intention  evidently  is  that  by  making 
people  read  these  they  shall  be  prevented  from  reading  books  that 
may  tend  to  make  them  rebellious  or  give  them  too  much  insight  in- 
to the  ways  of  shepherds.  I  am  led  to  this  supposition  by  reading 
several  such  lists.  In  none  of  them  have  I  found  recommended 
Machiavelli's  "The  Prince,"  or  Max  Stirner's  "The  Ego  and  His 
Own,"  not  to  mention  any  work  of  the  more  modern  "honest  work- 
men" like  Nietzsche  or  Ibsen. 

Surely  this  method  has  its  great  merits.  China  was  reduced 
to  the  reading  of  Confucius  and  stagnated  for  thousands  of  years. 
Why  should  not  standpatters  and  shepherds  succeed  in  bringing  us 
to  a  standstill  by  an  exclusive  reading  of  Shakespeare  and  the  Bible? 

Utopians  shall  not  furnish  any  list.  What  we  need  we  take 
freely.  For  in  regard  to  mental  food  more  than  in  regard  to  physi- 
cal nourishment  the  saying  holds  good  that  what  is  one  man's  meat 
is  another  man's  poison.  As  the  wild  animals  seek  the  food  that 
is  good  for  them  and  instinctively  avoid  what  is  poisoning,  so  we 
shall  read  what  we  please. 

Our  moral  wealth  consists  mainly  in  ideals.  These  ideals  are 
not  only  free,  they  are  thrust  upon  us.  From  our  earliest  infancy 
ideals  are  impressed  on  our  plastic  minds  so  deeply  that  few  are 
those  who  in  later  life  are  able  to  eradicate  these  earlier  impres- 
sions. While  we  can  say  that  the  possession  of  material  wealth  and 
of  knowledge  that  it  is  all  good,  not  so  in  respect  to  ideals.  They 
may  be  bad,  or  they  may  be  out  of  date  or  at  variance  with  later 
ideals,  also  contrary  to  a  better  understanding;  and  if  we  cannot 
get  rid  of  earlier  ideals  and  their  influence  our  will  is  divided  and 
our  forces  scattered. 

To  say  that  we  have  ideals  is  hardly  correct.  The  ideals  have 
us ;  we  are  for  our  weal  or  woe  possessed  by  them.  National, 
racial  and  religious  ideals  are  often  an  inheritance  that  perpetuate 
hatreds  that  only  Utopias  shall  be  able  to  eradicate.  But  that  does 
not  mean  that  those  ideals  should  not  be  perpetuated  in  a  modified 
form.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the  family  ideal,  although  it  gave 
rise  to  innumerable  feuds.  It  is  today  and  for  many  generations  to 
come  the  only  social  ideal  that  the  great  majority  shall  adhere  to, 
the  only  ideal  that  for  most  men  is  an  inspiration  strong  enough 
to  call  forth  their  greatest  energies.  But  it  is  not  the  only  ideal, 
and  for  a  great  many  not  the  highest.    There  are  the  Utopian  ideals. 


THE  CLOUDS  29 


STANDPATTERS 


Almost  everybody  is  progressive  in  our  days.  Already  we  have 
progressive  conservatives.  Soon,  perhaps,  we  shall  hear  about  pro- 
gressive reactionaries. 

Why  not?  There  are  many  indications  that  we  have  pro- 
gressed in  a  wrong  direction  and  the  only  sensible  thing  to  do  then, 
it  seems,  would  be  to  go  back  to  the  beginning  and  try  another  way. 
As  Utopians  we  ought  not  blindly  accept  everything  that  styles  itself 
progressive  nor  reject  any  idea  because  it  is  old.  Many  ideas  and 
ideals  and  customs  of  former  days  might  with  great  advantage  be 
introduced  in  our  Utopias,  modified  of  course  to  fit  into  the  changing 
conditions. 

But  while  the  great  majority  are  favorably  disposed  toward  the 
new,  that  is,  progressive  ideas,  there  still  remains  a  formidable  force 
of  standpatters.  Standpatism  is  a  fact,  and  standpatters  like  other 
facts  are  stubborn  things,  and  shall  have  to  be  reckoned  with. 

The  first  thing  we  must  do  is  to  recognize  them  for  what  they 
are,  namely,  as  standpatters;  that  is,  as  people  that  cannot  change. 
By  this  recognition  much  friction  shall  be  avoided  and  we  shall  then 
be  better  able  to  fit  them  into  new  social  structures  or  use  them  as 
stepping  stones  to  Utopias. 

An  insight  into  this  spirit  of  standpatism  we  glean  from  folk- 
lore. There  we  read  that  the  goblins  who  play  during  the  night 
sometimes  forget  themselves  and  linger  too  long,  that  is,  until  a 
ray  of  the  rising  sun  touches  them.  Then  they  are  not  quickened 
into  new  life  thereby  but  turned  into  stones,  and  nothing  can  change 
them  any  more. 

Something  similar  to  this  takes  place  in  our  own  time,  and  it 
is  fascinating  to  observe  this  strange  effect  of  light  on  the  adherents 
to  creeds  and  cults  dating  from  dark  ages.  Instinctively  and  volun- 
tarily they  close  their  minds  to  new  revelations  of  truth.  Soon 
they  are  petrified.  Having  ears  they  do  not  hear,  having  eyes  they 
do  not  see,  but  are  as  it  were  entombed. 

It  is  a  calamity  to  be  thus  imprisoned  in  a  faith,  like  Job  for 
example.  The  Lord  took  away  his  property,  his  wife,  his  children 
and  the  respect  of  his  fellowmen.  Afflicted  with  loathsome  diseases, 
at  last  he  sat  on  an  ash  pile  scraping  his  sores  with  a  piece  of 
pottery.  Still  he  was  faithful  to  his  God  and  cried  out :  "Even 
though  He  slays  me,  yet  I  shall  trust  in  Him." 

The  case  of  Job  is  not  an  isolated  one.  Most  people  who  have 
been  through  the  terrible  ordeal  of  changing  faith  have  examples 
of  this  stubbornness.  When  Olaf — later  St.  Olaf — converted  the 
Norwegians  to  Christianity,  he  met  with  many  obstinate  characters. 
One  Olve  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  new  faith  or  new 


30  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

morality,  as  they  more  correctly  termed  it.  But  finally  Olaf  caught 
Olve,  tied  him  to  the  ground,  put  an  iron  pan  on  his  body  and  in 
that  pan  lit  a  fire  and  tried  in  this  way  to  convert  the  old  heathen. 
But  Olve  refused  to  be  thus  persuaded,  and  when  the  red-hot  iron 
at  last  burned  into  his  stomach  he  simply  said:  "I  see  that  Thor 
has  forsaken  his  people,  but  he  shall  not  be  ashamed  of  his  son." 

He  stood  pat  and  died  bravely  without  accepting  Christ. 

It  is  no  use  denying  it,  we  all  admire  the  steadfastness  of  Job 
and  the  fortitude  of  the  less  celebrated  Olve. 

All  cults,  the  organic  world  itself,  stands  pat.  Every  organiza- 
tion must  have  some  fixed  ideas  or  principles,  otherwise  they  must 
fall  to  pieces.  Utopias  themselves  shall  not  be  exempt  from  that 
necessity.  This  characteristic  of  all  created  things  to  remain  un- 
changed and  persist,  long  after  the,  to  them,  favorable  conditions 
which  brought  them  into  existence  have  passed,  has  enriched  our 
world  with  innumerable  varieties. 

There  can  be  no  desire  on  the  part  of  Utopians  to  diminish  the 
number  of  social  forms  as  it  is  our  avowed  purpose  to  create  still 
more  of  them. 

Preservation  is  a  beautiful  thought.  It  is  sad  to  think  of  any 
plants  or  animal  or  tribe  of  men  as  extinct.  And  in  our  ideal  com- 
monwealths room  must  be  found  for  all  existing  forms — radicals, 
conservatives,  Gypsies  and  wandering  Jews. 

It  is  the  separation  from  the  old  that  cost.  All  birth  is  painful, 
and  more  painful  among  the  higher  species  than  among  the  lower. 
Often  both  mother  and  child  perish  or  are  maimed  for  life.  The 
new  is  tied  to  the  old  with  a  thousand  strings  of  which  they  are 
not  aware  until  they  realize  that  separation  is  the  only  solution  of 
the  difficulties. 

A  member  of  a  family  perhaps  is  touched  by  a  spirit  that 
makes  him  grow.  Consequently  he  craves  more  room  and  larger 
scope  for  his  activities  and  almost  invariably  he  will  try  to  infuse 
into  the  family  the  same  spirit  and  almost  invariably  too  with  the 
same  result :  Either  needlessly  prolong  the  pain  of  separation  or 
disrupt  the  whole  family. 

In  religious  cults  this  struggle  is  still  more  apparent.  If  a 
man  outgrows  his  creed  he,  instead  of  quietly  withdrawing,  tries 
the  impossible,  namely,  to  make  the  old  form  expand  to  meet  his 
own  needs. 

In  political  parties  we  observe  the  same  process,  for  instance,  re- 
cently within  the  Republican  party.  The  fixed  idea  of  that  party 
was  and  is  high  protective  tax  or  tariff.  Now  some  wdthin  that 
party  wanted  the  tax  reduced  and  obtained  a  promise,  put  in  the 
platform  of  that  party,  tliat  it  should  be  done.     But  when  it  came 


THE  CLOUDS  31 

to  acting  upon  it,  the  Republican  party  reduced  the  tariff  upward. 
It  could  not  do  otherwise  and  still  be  the  Republican  party.  The 
inevitable  result  was  the  birth  of  a  new  party.  But  the  pain  of 
separation  and  the  bitterness  engendered  imperiled  the  life  of  both. 

This  pain  and  bitterness,  however,  seems  to  be  nature's  means 
to  make  separation  complete,  to  make  reconciliation  impossible,  as 
the  struggle  of  reformation  separated  Protestant  from  Catholic  for 
the  rest  of  their  lives. 


UTOPIAS 


THE  THREE  KINDS 

We  imagine  our  Utopias  to  be  many  and  not  two  of  them 
alike,  but  for  the  sake  of  convenience  we  shall  divide  them  into 
three  classes :  The  Instinctive,  The  Intelligent,  and  The  Composite. 

The  Instinctive  Utopias  are  the  families. 

The  Intelligent  Utopias  are  similar  to  a  king's  or  queen's  court, 
created  by  individual  initiative  and  fitted  into  the  social  fabric  under 
the  laws  that  govern  families,  churches,  fraternities,  corporations, 
etc. 

Composite  Utopias  contain  within  themselves  intelligent 
Utopias  as  w^ell  as  the  other  organizations  mentioned  above,  all  of 
them  in  a  harmonious  relationship,  and  forming  an  integral  part 
of  the  republic  like  the  country  or  township. 

INSTINCTIVE  UTOPIAS 

The  family  is  the  only  Utopia  in  which  the  majority  of  men 
believe.  It  needs  no  advocate,  it.  is  instinctive  or  natural.  This 
social  ideal,  the  family,  exists,  have  existed  and  shall  exist  under  a 
variety  of  forms.  But  we  need  only  discuss  the  family  founded  on  the 
monagamic  marriage.  And,  as  it  is  already  established,  we  shall 
limit  ourself  to  the  task  of  pointing  out  that  it  is  inadequate  and 
that  it  calls  for  Utopias  of  another  kind. 

Scarcely  any  of  us  can  be  confined  within  the  narrow  circle 
of  the  present  home  and  feel  content.  And  while  the  churches  to 
the  extent  that  they  fill  a  social  as  distinct  from  a  religious  want, 
if  such  a  distinction  can  be  made,  and  the  numerous  clubs,  societies, 
fraternities,  etc.,  including  the  saloon,  may  be  a  satisfactory  supple- 
ment to  family  life  for  a  great  many,  in  our  opinion,  the  Utopias 
here  contemplated  would  be  preferable.  Social  organization,  apart 
from  home,  generally  caters  to  members  of  one  sex  and  to  in- 


32  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

dividnals  of  the  same  age.  Thereby  we  become  unduly  divided 
socially.  Our  will  and  interests  are  scattered  and  our  forces  wasted, 
nothing  is  gained  thereby  and  a  great  deal  lost. 

Let  us  briefly  examine  some  of  the  social  forms  which  the 
social  limitations  of  the  family  bring  into  existence.  First — secret 
societies.  These,  beside  their  social  function,  have  this  for  their 
special  purpose,  to  mould  the  character  of  their  members  into 
certain  forms.  Since  these  moulds  are  rigid,  to  the  extent  these 
orders  succeed,  a  social  readjustment  is  retarded  or  made  impos- 
sible. Recruited,  as  they  are,  from  the  socially  most  promising 
element  makes  their  activity  all  the  more  menacing.  Materially 
and  intellectually  unproductive,  they  are  a  parasitical  growth,  a 
fungi  on  the  tree  of  life,  blind  alleys  leading  nowhere.  No  laugh- 
ing children,  nothing  but  dead  men  comes  out  of  them.  Their 
impressive  funeral  rites  cannot  hide  the  secrets  of  their  barren- 
ness. 

Still  these  fraternities,  from  the  earliest  ages,  bear  witness  to 
the  fact  that  the  family  is  not  sufficient  to  meet  our  social  wants. 

Fraternities  appear  to  be  an  attempt  on  the  part  of  man,  to 
lift  himself  above  the  plane  of  instinct  which  the  family  represents, 
the  ties  of  blood,  the  bondage  of  marriage,  etc.  This  is  most  clearly 
shown  in  the  organizations  of  celibate  priesthoods.  But  this  flight 
from  woman  and  the  family  is  as  universal  as  the  longing  for 
freedom  and  nothing  especially  religious. 

The  A^ikings  towards  the  last  formed  themselves  into  brother- 
hoods, and  no  women  were  admitted  into  their  strongholds.  The 
Cossacks,  too,  wild  and  free  warriors  of  the  Steppes,  had  their 
burgh  from  which  women  were  excluded. 

That  this  longing  for  a  larger  and  freer  social  life  than  that 
which  the  family  circle  ofl^ers,  is  shared  by  woman  also  is  evident 
from  the  existence  of  women's  clubs,  and  women's  active  participa- 
tion in  church  work.  That  woman,  as  a  rule,  sticks  close  to  home, 
probably  means  only  this,  that  they  are  more  closely  bound  to  their 
children.  Not  that  their  longing  for  a  larger  and  freer  life  is 
less. 

But  the  modern  clubs  offer  us  only  a  temporary  escape  from 
family  life.  Otherwise,  it  was  with  organizations  of  Vikings  and 
Cossacks.  They  had  a  life  of  adventure  and  bold  enterprises, 
compared  with  this,  the  life  in  clubs  and  lodge  rooms  is  stagnation, 
dissipation,  and  a  slow  death. 

It  is  of  special  interest  for  Utopians  to  find  out  what  constitutes 
the  secret  of  success  of  social  organization,  more  especially  the 


THE  CLOUDS  33 

fraternities,  for  we  never  cease  to  wonder  how  large  social  bodies 
of  this  kind  can  rest  upon  and  grow  out  of  so  little  that  it  is  next 
to  nothing. 

It  is  told  of  Pythagoras  that  he  took  all  the  degrees  of  the 
Egyptian  priesthood,  a  secret  society,  and  that  he,  when  he  was 
initiated  into  the  innermost  circle,  where  the  mystery,  so  carefully 
guarded,  was  to  be  revealed,  he  found  nothing. 

A  mysterious  nothing,  a  Nirvana,  seems  to  be  an  ideal  founda- 
tion. Does  not  the  whole  world  of  phenomena  emerge  from  and 
rest  upon  nothing?  Anything  that  is  something  is  sure  to  repel 
somebody,  but  this  nothing,  like  a  vacuum,  ofifers  no  resistance  and 
exerts  an  irresistible  attraction. 

A  lodge  room  is  probably  the  nearest  we  can  come  to  a 
vacuum  socially,  and  to  get  a  quorum  is  no  small  task.  This, 
however,  is  not  a  weakness  but  a  source  of  strength.  In  the  lodge 
room  the  members  touch  the  negative  pole  of  existence  and  are 
electrified.  They  feel  the  urge  to  do  something,  and,  as  there  is 
nothing  doing  there,  the  only  thing  they  can  do  is  to  go  out  and 
get  new  members  to  fill  the  vacuum,  which  again  is  something 
which  in  the  nature  of  things  cannot  be  done,  and  the  order  grows. 

If  we  at  times  have  a  vague  feeling  of  the  hollowness  of  it  all 
we  argue  like  this :  How  could  so  many  great  and  able  men  belong 
to  a  given  order  if  there  was  nothing  in  it? 

The  strength  of  the  churches,  too,  consists  in  their  emptyness  of 
anything  of  real  interest  to  men.  And  what  can  the  members  do 
for  a  God  that  is  spirit?  Nothing  but  go  out  and  bring  men  to 
God  or  join  the  church,  and  when  we  wonder  why,  we  hear 
the  same  argument:  How  could  so  many  great  and  able  men  be- 
long to  the  church  if  it  be  only  a  bottomless  pit? 

Woman,  like  churches  and  secret  societies,  attracts  men,  and 
ought  to  be  mentioned  in  this  connection.  Woman  is  a  mystery 
we  cannot  fathom.  And,  like  anything  we  cannot  understand, 
capable  of  creating  a  superstitious  fear  in  our  hearts.  Someone 
has  said  that  woman  is  a  mystery  and  that  the  solution  of  that 
mystery  is  always  the  child.  This  is  hardly  correct.  The  child 
is  not  a  solution  but  the  coming  forth  of  a  new  mystery — a  new 
member  from  within.  The  mystery  deepens  the  more  we  think  of 
it.  Otto  Weininger  had  the  notion  that  the  absolute  woman  is 
nothing,  or  the  uncreated  seeking  existence,  or  as  we  would  say, 
she  is  a  vacuum.  Woman  as  mother,  however,  seems  a  reasonable 
proposition.  Woman  as  prostitute  is  more  mysterious  and  we 
cannot  help  wondering  why  such  a  thing  should  be.     But,  if  we 


34  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

wanted  to  take  the  opposite  view,  we  know  the  argument:  If  the 
prostitute  is  nothing,  how  is  it  that  so  many  great  and  noble  men, 
etc.,  etc.  ? 

Prostitution  is  an  indication  that  the  monogamic  marriage,  on 
which  our  family  is  founded,  is  defective. 

Perhaps  we  were  two  in  the  beginning,  but  this  does  not  neces- 
sarily mean  that  we  shall  be  so  in  the  end.  In  the  monkey  family, 
we  understand,  that  the  Gorilla  is  monogamious,  while  the  Chim- 
panzee is  inclined  to  polygamy.  Man,  it  seems,  is  not  bound  to 
any  particular  form.  In  the  beginning,  more  than  likely,  man  had 
no  marriage  at  all,  but  like  most  herding  animals,  had  everything  in 
common.  Prostitutes  may  then  be  regarded  as  non-conformists 
representing  the  original  type.  Perhaps  their  existence  is  a  protest 
against  all  marriages  imposed  upon  us  because  of  the  hardness  of 
our  hearts.  For,  if  there  were  no  marriages,  there  would  be  no 
prostitutes  nor  any  divorces,  for  the  first  cause  of  divorce  is,  of 
course,  marriage.  But,  in  saying  this,  we  do  not  wish  to  be  under- 
stood as  favoring  prostitution.  We  prefer  the  mother  for  the 
Magdalene.  And  it  seems  to  us  that  the  sympathy  that  goes  out 
to  those  who  have  followed  the  easiest  way  is  somewhat  misplaced, 
if  we  with  the  right  place,  mean  that  it  should  be  with  those  who 
have  the  hardest  time  of  it.  While  prostitutes  are  supported  in 
idleness  and  luxury,  many  a  poverty  stricken  wife  and  mother  must 
work  hard  at  home  and  away  from  home.  It  is  here  that  the  hard- 
ness of  our  hearts  comes  in.  Harder,  too,  than  the  lot  of  prostitutes 
is  the  fate  of  intelligent  girls,  who,  having  the  choice  of  becoming 
the  wife  of  a  poor  man  or  become  prostitute,  refuses  to  be  either, 
and  remains  single.  If  this  be  the  essence  of  tragedy,  that  a  person 
is  placed  in  a  position  that  no  matter  where  he  turns  he  is  bound 
to  be  sacrificed,  their  fate  is  tragic. 

To  meet  the  needs  of  those  an  enlarged  family  or  Utopia  is 
required.  An  Utopia  where  we  shall  have  marriages  for  the 
preservation  of  the  race  and  romances  to  preserve  our  health,  and 
the  summer  gladness  in  our  souls. 

Economically,  the  family  offers  no  security  whatever,  that  is, 
for  an  overwhelming  great  majority.  It  was  a  time  when  people 
were  more  closely  in  touch  with  the  soil,  when  the  homestead  gave 
some  protection  to  the  members  of  the  family,  but  this  time  is  no 
more.  Scattered  in  all  directions,  each  is  left  to  shift  for  himself. 
Only  one  family  in  a  thousand,  perhaps,  reaches  a  state  of  affluence 
that  enables  it  to  be  a  friend  in  need  to  its  nearest  kin,  not  to 
mention  the  poor  and  more  distant  relations. 

The  growth  of  innumerable  life  insurance  companies  proves 
the  economic  weakness  of  the  family.     And  to  the  extent  outside 


THE  CLOUDS  35 

organizations  take  charge  of  its  affairs,  the  family  itself  must  dis- 
integrate. Insurance  is  a  gamble.  A  non-producing  business.  The 
patrons  of  a  gambling  house  occasionally  win,  and  the  insured 
regularly  do,  though  on  the  whole,  the  game  is  in  favor  of  the 
companies.  And  in  the  long  run  the  gambling  house  shall  get  the 
money.  With  the  same  players  this  would  be  accomplished  in  short 
order,  but  new  victims  keep  the  game  going. 

We  can  easily  see  the  economic  advantage  of  having  a  larger 
social  unit  than  the  family  but  to  prefer  it  is  another  matter. 
Stronger  than  reason  are  the  mysterious  bonds  of  blood  and  race 
and  the  instinct  to  care  for  our  own.  Only  as  a  person  becomes 
more  conscious  of  his  worth,  in  other  words,  individualized,  shall  his 
craving  for  a  greater  freedom  than  what  the  family  gives  make  him 
seek  Utopias. 

That  the  home  is  an  ideal  place  for  children  up  to  a  certain 
age,  let's  say,  seven  years,  we  shall  take  for  granted,  provided  the 
parents  are  sensible  and  decent.  But  as  time  passes  on  the  watchful 
care  of  a  mother  over  her  children  at  last  becomes  unbearable  to 
them.  Further,  it  is  often  demanded  of  a  boy,  that  he  shall  attain 
what  the  father  failed  to  do,  even  though  their  ideas  and  ideals 
differ,  as  they  almost  invariably  do. 

The  greater  the  father  the  more  dangerous  is  he  to  the  son. 
Already  our  heathen  ancestors  were  aware  of  this  menacing  in- 
fluence of  the  father.  And  the  chieftains  among  them  sent  away 
their  sons  to  be  fostered  by  lesser  men. 

It  is  dangerous  for  any  one,  but  most  for  a  boy,  to  live  toD 
close  to  a  powerful  man.  Like  a  young  sapling  growing  too  near 
a  big  tree  wilts  in  its  shadows,  so  he  is  blotted  out  of  existence,  ab- 
sorbed by  the  more  powerful. 

INTELLIGENT  UTOPIAS 

Assuming  that  there  is  a  desire  to  create  an  intelligent  Utopia, 
the  first  thing  to  do  is  to  form  a  definite  idea  of  its  character.  This^ 
for  practical  men,  and  for  many  others,  is  no  easy  task.  We  there- 
fore suggest  that  poets  and  others,  like  pioneers  and  singers  of  a 
new  day,  go  to  work,  and  in  a  playful  way,  write  down  their  ideas 
of  an  ideal  commonwealth,  and  give  to  practical  men,  inclined  to 
attempt  something  of  that  sort,  some  ideas  to  select  from.  Such 
written  Utopias  would  fill  the  same  want  as  plays  and  musical 
compositions  do  to  actors  and  musicians. 

The  value  of  these  Utopias  shall  depend  largely  on  this,  that  it  is 
possible  to  create  them  under  present  conditions  and  with  existing 
characters. 

As  to  the  mode  of  presenting  the  matter,  we  wish  to  call  at- 


36  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

tention  to  the  fact  that  poets,  as  a  rule,  succeed  better  when  they 
give  a  description  of  Hell  than  when  they  attempt  to  picture 
Heaven.  Taking  that  hint,  a  poet  could  with  great  advantage, 
write  a  tragedy  containing  the  basis  principle  of  this  Utopia.  And 
he  need  not  fear  that  a  sad  or  terrible  ending  of  his  Utopia  shall 
prevent  anyone  from  trying  to  introduce  into  real  life  an  ideal 
commonwealth  based  on  his  ideas.  The  many  unhappy  marriages, 
and  all  the  wretched  homes  does  not  prevent  the  rush  into  matri- 
mony. Misery  exerts  a  strange  attraction,  and  as  the  saying  is, 
it  likes  company.    Happiness  is  tedious. 

In  writing  Utopias  we  can  learn  a  great  deal  from  the  play- 
wrights. And  this  is  perhaps  the  rule  whereby  a  good  play  is 
written :  Given  a  plot  and  having  chosen  his  leading  characters, 
he  broods  over  his  theme  until  these,  the  children  of  his  fancy, 
become  alive,  and  to  a  certain  extent,  independent.  And  if  he  puts 
tliem  in  a  given  situation,  they  will  say  and  do  things  that  surprise 
him,  their  creator.  God  and  his  ways  are  unknown  to  us,  other- 
wise we  should  lose  our  sense  of  independence,  dearer  to  us  than 
life  itself.  So  it  is  required  that  an  author  of  an  utopia  or  a  play 
should  remain  in  the  background,  preferably  hidden  like  a  "spider 
behind  phenomena."  The  minute  he  imposes  his  personality  on 
the  play,  the  play  is  spoiled. 

There  is  a  doubt  in  many  minds  as  to  who  wrote  Shakespeare's 
plays.  But  we  can  safely  infer  that  this  controversy  would  hardly 
interest  the  real  author  whoever  he  was.  On  the  other  hand,  if  he 
is  in  position  to  see  and  hear  what  is  going  on  here  on  earth,  we 
feel  sure  that  it  would  grieve  him  to  see  his  plays  butchered,  and 
that  it  would  give  him  a  keen  pleasure  to  see  them  given  an  adequate 
performance. 

The  play  is  the  thing. 

Most  likely  Utopias  shall  have  in  various  plays  their  prototypes, 
and  be  like  tragedies,  dramas,  comedies,  farces,  and  some,  no  doubt, 
shall  be  like  a  continuous  vaudeville. 

Civilization  requires  a  division  of  the  tasks  to  the  performers, 
but  the  actor  need  not  be  identified  with  his  part,  and  should  be 
able  to  throw  it  ofif.  So  long  as  the  performance  lasts,  it  is  neces- 
sary that  there  should  be  kings,  heroes,  minor  characters  and  a 
chorus,  but  when  the  curtain  drops  these  distinctions  drop  with  it 
as  far  as  social  intercourse  is  concerned,  and  the  king  and  the 
grave-digger,  the  wise  man  and  the  fool  may  have  supper  together 
if  they  so  choose. 

And  our  ideal  is  that  the  parts  should  be  chosen  and  acted 
voluntarily,  be  it  for  the  love  of  the  role  itself,  or  for  the  love  of 


THE  CLOUDS  37 

doing  hard  things  or  performing  tasks  others  are  unwilling  or 
unable  to  perform,  that  is,  in  the  heroic  spirit,  latent  in  human- 
ity. As  to  organizing,  a  king  may  choose  his  idea  of  an  Utopia 
and  his  follower,  like  a  director  selects  his  piece  and  engages  his 
players.  Or  the  players  may  decide  on  an  Utopia  and  select  or 
call  a  king. 

The  first  task  of  a  practical  king  must  be  to  put  his  Utopia 
on  a  sound  economic  basis. 

The  three  bogies :  rent,  interest,  and  profit,  should  be  queered 
or  made  harmless.     It  can  be  done. 

If  we  own  the  ground  or  land  necessary  for  our  support  and 
the  houses  thereon — and  we  have  the  right  to  do  so — then  we  pay 
no  rent. 

If  we  don't  owe  anybody  anything — and  we  don't  need  to  do 
so  unless  it  be  our  share  in  the  national  and  municipal  debt — then 
we  shall  pay  no  interest. 

If  we  produce  things  for  our  own  use  and  for  the  exchange 
for  products  of  other  producers  without  the  help  or  interference 
of  middlemen — and  we  are  perfectly  free  to  do  so — the  paying  of 
profit  is  eliminated,  and  the  Utopia  is  free  because  it  pays  no 
tribute  to  foreign  powers. 

Many  a  man  has  made  himself  independent  to  that  extent, 
starting  with  nothing  and  raising  a  large  family  beside.  What 
should  we  think  of  a  king  and  his  men  if  they  could  not  do  that 
much  ? 

From  the  start,  of  course,  food,  clothing  and  shelter  must  be 
secured,  but  when  our  aim  shall  be  to  do  away  with  labor,  many 
things  now  considered  necessary  to  do  and  to  have  shall  be  dis- 
pensed with.  As  such,  we  shall  mention  domestic  animals,  on 
account  of  the  more  or  less  disagreeable  work  connected  with 
keeping  them.  Instead  we  shall  cultivate  and  depend  on  animals 
that  are  able  to  maintain  themselves  in  a  given  locality  to  furnish 
us  with  meat,  hides,  wool,  etc.  To  hunt  down  the  enemies  of  the 
species  preferred  is  even  now  considered  a  noble  sport  and  that 
is  all  the  cultivation  needed  in  this  instance.  So  agriculture,  with 
all  the  labor  involved,  must  give  place  to  the  cultivation  of  food- 
producing  trees  and  plants  capable  of  yielding  spontaneously 
what  we  need.  This  cultivation,  too,  a  spontaneous,  and  there- 
fore pleasureable  expenditure  of  our  surplus  energies. 

These  occupations  combined  with  the  making  and  operation 
of  machinery,  shall  not  dull  our  brains  like  drudgery.  And  while 
it  shall  keep  and  develop  the  skill  of  our  hands,  it  shall  not  spoil 
their  softness. 

When  our  minds  shall  be  lifted  from  the  all  absorbing  interest 


38  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

and  necessity  of  producing  things  for  profit,  we  shall  realize  that 
many  things  that  we  now  undertake  and  do  need  not  be  done,  or 
could  be  done  differently,  easier,  simpler.  An  ideal  food  and  an 
ideal  drink,  for  instance,  might  be  prepared  from  the  most  various 
kinds  of  raw  material  as  whiskey  is  made  out  of  different  kinds 
of  fruits  and  cereals.  Children  perhaps  shall  require  somewhat 
the  same  kind  of  nourishment  as  what  is  now  given  them,  but  for 
adults,  this  ideal  food  and  drink  ought  to  suffice  like  nectar  and 
ambrosia  did  for  the  gods. 

As  the  primary  needs  of  man  at  a  court  would  be  free  to  all 
as  in  a  family,  the  style  of  our  food,  clothing,  and  shelter  could  not 
be  made  the  measure  of  an  individual's  social  standing,  nor  could 
possessions  of  property  increase  his  power  within  the  court.  Under 
these  circumstances,  a  tendency  towards  simplicity  should  be  ex- 
pected, and  would  have  to  be  counteracted  by  a  cultivation  of  a 
taste  for  luxuries  in  order  to  maintain  the  dignity  of  the  court. 
To  set  the  fashion  has  always  been  the  main  function  of  a  court. 
This,  however,  does  not  mean  that  it  should  lead  in  extravagance. 
Freed  from  paying  tribute,  and  the  necessaries  being  secured,  a 
surplus  fund,  or  sufficient  capital  to  insure  the  safety  of  the  court 
and  those  depending  on  it,  should  be  created. 

But  here  the  communism  of  the  court  ends.  To  attain  that  end 
is  the  function  of  the  king.  And  as  his  activity  properly  comes 
within  the  communistic  sphere,  though  not  necessarily  confined 
thereto,  he  would  have  no  power  to  grant  his  followers  any  pe- 
cuniary benefits,  but  as  a  leader,  he  would  have  power  to  give  as 
a  reward  for  the  faithful  performance  of  a  given  task,  the  op- 
portunity to  perform  a  still  greater  one. 

It  is  essential  that  the  members  of  a  court,  beside  the  com- 
munal, should  also  have  a  personal  interest  and  personal  property 
and  a  sufficient  sum  of  money  deposited.  This  latter  would  make 
them  free  to  depart  any  time  their  own  welfares  or  the  welfare  of 
the  court  required  it. 

The  natural  way  to  acquire  that  sum  would  be  to  swell  the 
surplus  fund  beyond  he  needs  of  the  court  and  distribute  it  in  the 
form  of  a  dividend.  But  it  might  also  be  acquired  individually, 
or  by  smaller  groups  within  the  court,  who  for  this  purpose,  wanted 
to  exert  themselves  beyond  the  needs  of  the  community. 

Utopian's  morals  or  manners  must  of  course  be  formed  accord- 
ing to  the  broad  principle  laid  down  by  St.  Paul.  "Everything  is 
lawful  but  not  everything  is  profitable."  How  to  apply  that  prin- 
ciple is  also  stated  by  the  same  authority.  "Try  everything  and 
deave  to  that  which  is  good."     This  method,  it  will  be  observed, 


THE  CLOUDS  39 

is  the  same  as  that  followed  by  scientists  in  their  laboratories  and 
elsewhere.  And  it  is  to  the  everlasting  credit  of  the  apostle  that 
he  proposed  the  experimental  method  in  the  realms  of  morals. 

To  this  will  be  objected  that  it  is  a  dangerous  method.  But 
we  are  bound  to  admit  that  it  is  the  only  method  whereby  the  virtue 
of  any  mode  of  conduct  can  be  verified.  And  why  should  it  not  be 
dangerous?  Assuming  that  courage  is  a  virtue,  the  element  of 
danger  in  moral  experiments  furnishes  a  test  whereby  the  courage 
of  the  experimenters  can  be  proved,  and  to  begin  with,  demonstrate 
their  fitness  in  this  respect  for  the  undertaking. 

The  freedom  of  the  experimenters  must  of  course  be  limited 
by  the  laws  of  the  Republic  and  also  thereby  that  the  morals  must 
be  in  accordance  with  its  fundamental  principle — the  freedom  of 
the  individual. 

In  full  accordance  with  the  laws  and  in  perfect  agreement  with 
its  principles  and  with  the  precept :  "To  thy  own  self  be  true,"  the 
moral  code  of  an  intelligent  Utopia  may  start  with  the  proposition 
that  each  individual  belongs  to  him  or  her  self.  Children  do  not  be- 
long to  their  parents  nor  the  parent  to  their  children.  Sisters  do 
not  belong  to  their  brothers  nor  brothers  to  their  sisters  in  any 
sense  that  gives  them  dominion  over  one  another. 

The  marriage  relation  within  a  court  must  be  managed  in  the 
same  manner.  A  woman  should  retain  her  own  name,  her  taking 
her  husband's  name  is  a  remnant  of  the  idea  that  women  are  proper- 
ty. The  reflected  glory  or  disgrace  resulting  from  being  married 
to  a  famous  or  infamous  man  would  no  longer  be  womans.  Her 
glory,  as  far  as  marriage  is  concerned,  would  be  her  children.  Apart 
from  them,  a  woman's  claim  to  distinction  would  be  the  same  as 
that  of  man — character,  beauty,  ability,  accomplishments. 

Next,  a  man  or  a  woman's  property  should  not,  in  the  least,  be 
affected  by  a  marriage  relation.  This  would  put  an  end  to  the  dis- 
graceful sport  of  hunting  heiresses.  This  as  well  as  the  profes- 
sion of  the  prostitutes  and  any  other  traffic  in  sex  should,  of  course, 
be  banished  from  an  intelligent  Utopia. 

The  outcome  of  these  experiments  in  morals  or  modes  of  con- 
duct adopted  must  necessarily  vary  in  the  different  Utopias. 

As  an  illustration,  we  shall  introduce  the  question  of  clothes. 
And  that  there  is  a  close  connection  between  clothes  and  morals  no 
one  will  deny.  Here  we  see  at  once  the  absurdity  of  being  bound 
to  the  fashion  of  our  forefathers  and  the  even  greater  absurdity 
of  making  the  style  uniform,  for  the  whole  world  regardless  of 
climatic  condition  and  the  modes  of  making  a  living. 

Our  body  is  the  original  clothing  of  our  souls.     We  are  born 


40  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

naked,  but  by  the  help  of  intelligence,  we,  with  drapery  and  trinklets, 
can  make  our  body  appear  to  better  advantage  and  with  clothes 
add  to  its  comforts. 

The  cultivation  of  polite  manners  and  the  observances  of  good 
usages  is  an  extenuation  of  the  clothing  principle,  a  striving  after 
a  better  appearance. 

But  in  matter  of  morals,  with  a  few  exceptions,  we  all  stand 
pat.  Not  because  we  approve  of  all  our  customs  or  are  not  aware 
that  they  might  be  greatly  improved,  but  it  is  the  same  kind  of 
obedience  we  practice  in  regard  to  clothes.  We  may  realize  that 
they  are  both  ugly  and  uncomfortable,  still  we  conform,  and  if  we 
saw  someone  defying  the  reigning  fashion  and  appear  in  a  new 
style,  that  in  our  own  estimation,  was  both  beautiful  and  sensible, 
the  chances  are  that  we  in  spite  of  that  should  ridicule  and,  perhaps, 
maltreat  the  offender. 

It  follows  that  considerable  tact  and  diplomacy  shall  be  needed 
in  order  to  realize  our  own  peculiar  moral  ideals.  Many  reformers 
and  would-be  innovators  are  looked  upon  as  undesirable  citizens 
simply  because  they  want  to  force  their  ideas  upon  others.  As 
Utopians  have  no  intention  of  doing  so,  some  of  the  prejudice 
against  innovators  may  disappear.  It  should  be  a  relief  for  agitator 
as  well  as  for  those  agitated  upon,  if  a  multitude  of  different  Utopias 
were  in  existence.  Instead  of  trying  to  make  the  whole  nation 
conform  to  my  ideal,  I  myself  could  then  depart  from  the  neighbor- 
hood when  its  customs  no  longer  appealed  to  me  and  settle  in  an- 
other where  the  degree  of  temperance  or  indulgence  in  all  things 
were  more  agreeable  to  me. 

To  facilitate  an  exchange  of  members  between  the  different 
Utopias  and  also  the  absorption  and  elimination  of  members  from 
and  to  the  community  at  large,  it  would  be  well,  even  necessary 
for  an  Utopia  of  the  kind  at  present  discussed,  to  fill  a  function 
that  would  put  it  in  direct  touch  with  all  people.  Isolation  and 
secrecy  creates  suspicion  and,  while  insisting  on  the  same  right  to 
privacy  that  families  enjoy,  a  function  that  made  the  absorption  an 
elimination  of  members  free  and  easy  should  be  of  mutual  benefit. 

A  few  functions  of  that  kind  comes  to  our  mind. 

"Eternal  vigilance  as  the  price  of  Liberty."  And  if  we  shall 
have  liberty,  and  if  the  republic  on  which  it  and  our  Utopias  de- 
pends shall  endure,  equality  before  the  law  must  be  maintained. 
It  is  therefore  fitting  that  a  King's  court  should  form  itself  into  a 
vigilance  committee  for  the  purpose  of  realizing  that  ideal.  The 
prevailing  opinion  is  that  the  poor  are  at  a  disadvantage  in  the 
courts  because  they  cannot  engage  the  right  kind  of  lawyers.     Here 


THE  CLOUDS  41 

the  legal  lights  of  an  Utopia  could  come  to  the  rescue  and  give  the 
needed  counsel  free.  An  Utopia,  like  a  corporation,  must  of  course, 
have  one  or  several  good  lawyers  in  order  to  succeed,  by  helping  it 
to  steer  clear  of  legal  entanglements,  especially  shall  their  counsel 
be  needed  if  an  innovation  of  new  customs  or  morals  is  contem- 
plated, as  both  the  Utopia  as  a  whole  and  the  members  composing 
it  need  attorneys,  the  assistance  given  the  poor  by  this  class  would 
simply  be  an  extension  of  their  special  occupation. 

Assuming  this  position,  however  is  fraught  with  danger.  This 
service  could  easily  be  carried  too  far  and  would  be  apt  to  create 
an  antagonism  against  a  court  from  the  start.  It  also  suffers  from 
this  defect,  as  a  connecting  link  with  the  rest  of  the  community, 
that  it  only  occasionally  shall  come  into  use. 

A  more  neutral  and  abiding  function  is  that  of  a  funeral 
director.  Acting  as  funeral  directors  would  bring  the  court  in  con- 
tact with  the  outer  world  at  an  opportune  time.  At  such  times, 
children  are  often  left  without  supporters  or  guardians  and 
could  be  adopted,  or  parents  in  losing  a  child — often  lose  their 
only  support,  and  would  need  a  place  of  rest.  Death  often  brings 
about  a  reconciliation  of  the  members  of  a  family,  some  of  whom, 
during  the  time  of  trouble,  might  temporarily  have  taken  refuge 
at  a  court,  and  would  now  return  to  the  bosom  of  their  family. 
Some  new  customs  could  here  be  introduced,  cremation,  to  begin 
with,  should  recommend  itself  to  an  intelligence  Utopia.  And  the 
extravagant  offerings  of  flowers  is  surely  a  bad  form  which  ought 
to  be  discouraged.  Verily,  a  flower,  picked  at  the  wayside  and 
placed  on  my  coffin  by  a  real  mourner,  one  who  felt  my  going 
away  as  a  real  loss,  would  be  worth  more  to  me  than  all  the  flowers 
the  indifferent  ones  could  buy. 

With  a  beautiful  funeral  rite  of  their  own,  and  the  liberty  of 
others  to  use  a  different  one,  many,  no  doubt,  would  avail  them- 
selves of  their  service.  Especially  since  this  as  well  as  other 
functions  assumed  as  a  connecting  link  should  be  rendered  free,  that 
is,  with  the  element  of  profit  eliminated,  what  this  means  in  this 
instance,  we  realize  when  we  consider  that  a  coffin  that  is  sold  for 
fifty  dollars  can  be  manufactured  for  five. 

Outside  of  those  engaged  in  the  business,  no  serious  opposition 
to  a  court  assuming  the  function  of  a  funeral  director  need  be 
anticipated.  The  coffin  trust  has  no  friends  and  the  undertakers 
are  too  closely  connected  with  it  to  expect  much  sympathy.  • 

But  in  the  ranks  of  the  standpatters  the  position  of  the  middle- 
man is  the  least  defensible.     This  position,  too,  when  taken,  offers 


42  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

the  greatest  opportunities.  It  connects  the  courts  with  the  bases 
of  supply,  and  from  this  stronghold,  it  is  possible  to  branch  out 
in  any  and  all  directions, 

A  commission  appointed  to  inquire  into  the  causes  of  the  high 
cost  of  living  come  to  the  conclusion  that  half  of  that  cost  goes 
to  the  middleman.  This  may  be  an  exaggeration,  but  anyway  it 
does  not  matter.  A  court  can  defy  all  competition  if  it  takes  the 
position  of  the  middleman,  that  is,  if  it  undertakes  to  fill  the  func- 
tion of  the  middleman  as  a  public  service  voluntarily  offered  with 
no  extra  charges  for  profit.  It  is  a  function  that  requires  no  skill 
and  not  much  strength  of  muscle  and  only  a  minimum  of  brains. 
A  slot-machine  is  an  ideal  middleman. 

It  has  often  been  stated  that  nine  out  of  ten  who  start  in 
business  fail,  taking  that  to  apply  also  to  the  business  of  the  middle- 
man, we  wish  to  state,  that  they  do  not  fail  because  they  are  unable 
to  perform  the  function  assumed.  They  fail  to  get  customers, 
and  consequently  fail  to  get  anything  out  of  the  fifty  per  cent  profit 
that  is  paid  by  the  ultimate  consumer,  that's  all. 

The  producers  of  all  kinds  of  articles  are  anxious  and  willing 
to  deliver  their  goods  at  any  place  a  middleman  may  wish.  At 
such  places  the  function  of  the  middleman  begins  and  ends.  For 
the  delivery  of  the  goods  at  the  homes  of  the  customers  is  not 
properly  the  function  of  the  middleman,  but  that  of  parcel  de- 
liverers or  similar  agencies. 

When  the  idea  of  profit  and  the  necessity  of  getting  customers 
is  eliminated  and  the  business  of  the  middleman  is  limited  to  its 
proper  sphere,  namely,  to  the  ordering  of  goods  and  retailing  them, 
some  radical  changes  in  the  conducting  of  that  business  must  be 
looked  for. 

It  is  a  wonder  that  municipalities  do  not  overtake  the  business 
of  the  middleman.  Perhaps  they  will  some  day.  Meanwhile, 
Utopians  can  do  it,  and  as  these  are  not  financially  interested,  only 
socially,  so  a  new  science  of  salesmanship  may  be  outlined. 

Now  the  main  object  is  to  sell,  then  absolute  neutrality,  like 
that  of  a  slot-machine,  would  be  the  ideal  a  salesman  should  be 
striving  for.  As  a  voluntary  social  service  commercialism  would 
be  sanctified,  and  under  this  sanctified  commercialism,  a  customer 
would  be  sure  to  receive  the  goods  as  represented  as  there  would 
be  no  motives  to  misrepresent  the  articles  on  the  part  of  the  sales- 
man. The  customer's  will  and  welfare  would  be  the  sole  con- 
sideration. Many  customers  do  not  know  what  they  want — they 
only  know  that  they  want  something.  Probably,  in  many  instances, 
all  a  customer  wants  is  to  look  at  the  goods.    And,  if  a  salesman 


THE  CLOUDS  43 

could  satisfy  a  customer  in  that  way,  without  making  any  sale,  it 
should  be  put  down  to  his  credit  as  it  might  be  to  the  advantage  of 
the  customer  in  question. 

Advertising,  even  the  display  of  articles  for  sale  in  show 
windows,  shall  be  considered  superfluous  or  vulgar.  In  regard  to 
foodstuff,  every  one  will  admit  that  it  does  not  increase  our  appetite 
to  see  it  exposed  in  windows  and  doorways.  It  is  not  the  proper 
way. 

Our  garments  and  our  jewelry  are  cheapened  by  being  exposed 
as  advertisements.  It  makes  us  look  second  class,  for  no  matter 
what  we  put  on  we  cannot  successfully  compete  with  a  show 
window. 

The  stores  could  be  reconstructed  or  done  away  with  and  re- 
placed by  bazaars  or  markets,  as  the  needs  or  convenience  of  the 
customers  demanded.  Once  or  twice  a  week  would  be  sufficient 
for  many  departments,  and  for  others  only  a  few  hours  in  the 
forenoon  or  evening. 

As  to  place,  these  markets  need  not  be  on  the  most  expensive 
streets.  We  take  it  for  granted  that  an  intelligent  Utopia  first 
must  secure  a  sufficient  tract  of  land  but  its  position  shall  be  greatly 
strengthened  if  it  owns  property  to  an  adjoining  city  as  well.  The 
advantages  of  this  are  too  numerous  to  mention  and  easily  suggest 
themselves  to  parties  interested.  Here  we  shall  only  dwell  with 
the  advantages  the  market  place  offers  as  a  connection  between 
an  intelligent  Utopia  and  the  rest  of  the  community. 

That  it  would  facilitate  the  absorption  by  the  court  of  children 
and  others  especially  fitted  for  it  and  the  elimination  of  those  not 
in  harmony  with  it,  is  self-evident.  Equally  self-evident,  it  is  that 
the  manners,  morals  or  customs  of  the  court  would  here  directly 
affect  the  whole  community  for  its  weal  or  woe. 

The  members  of  an  intelligent  Utopia,  to  begin  with,  we  shall 
assume  to  have  the  artistic  temperament  to  the  extent  at  least  that 
they  like  to  do  things  principally  for  the  pleasure  it  gives.  But, 
it  would  be  to  the  benefit  of  such  occasionally,  or  even  regularly, 
to  force  themselves  to  do  something  which  they  do  not  like  to  do. 
This  shall  strengthen  their  will  and  act  as  a  disciplinary  measure 
and  discipline  of  some  kind,  even  if  self-imposed,  or  preferably  so,  is 
needed. 

Many,  who  by  force  of  circumstances,  in  our  days  must  work 
at  tasks  disagreeable  to  them,  find  relief  by  taking  up  some  work 
in  which  they  are  interested  as  a  fad.  For  Utopians,  who  normally 
are  busying  themselves  with  what  others  take  up  as  a  fad,  to 
assume  some  task  not  to  their  liking  would  amount  to  the  same 


44  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

thing,  only  the  situation  is  reversed.  And  the  benefits  of  such  an 
arrangement  shall  be  the  same.  An  artist  serving  a  few  hours  now 
and  then  in  a  clothing  department  for  instance,  shall  gain  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  human  form,  otherwise  not  so  easily  obtained  and  the 
customer  shall  receive  the  benefit  of  professional  advice  as  to 
what  colors  and  styles  are  most  becoming  to  him.  A  poet  serving 
in  a  book  department  could  not  help  but  increase  the  interest  in  the 
better  class  of  literature,  etc. 

That  a  court  assuming  the  function  of  the  middleman,  shall 
reduce  the  cost  of  living  fifty  per  cent,  we  do  not  believe,  and 
take  occasion  to  caution  against  any  anticipation  of  that  kind.  If 
the  middleman  was  forced  into  the  ranks  of  professionals  and  pro- 
ducers, they  would  give  especially  to  the  producers  a  greater  desire 
for  money  or  the  things  that  money  buys.  This  would  lift  the 
life  of  the  whole  nation  to  a  higher  standard  of  living,  but  this 
implies  that  what  now  goes  to  the  middleman,  would  then  be  added 
to  the  compensation  for  the  activities  of  professionals  and  pro- 
ducers, and  the  ultimate  consumer,  as  such,  would  gain  nothing. 

There  are  other  middlemen  closely  allied  to  the  commercial 
middleman,  namely,  the  middelman  between  God  and  man,  that  is 
the  priest.  Him  we  shall  deal  with  later  on,  here  we  shall  dwell 
for  a  moment  on  a  middleman  that  possibly  may  appear  within  an 
Utopia,  namely,  a  middleman  between  me  and  my  king.  The  minute 
he  appears  Utopia  vanishes.  Then  the  king  is  no  longer  a  real  king, 
but  an  idol,  like  the  existing  kings,  and  hedged  around  by  a  class  of 
nobles  or  priests,  that  is  middlemen,  and  is  not  my  king  any  more. 

This  decides  the  size  of  an  intelligent  Utopia:  It  can  not  ex- 
ceed the  circle  of  personal  acquaintance  of  the  king  with  all  his 
followers. 

Coming  back  to  the  commercial  middleman,  the  first  thought 
is,  that  the  only  thing  for  him  to  do,  when  a  court  overtakes  his 
function,  is  to  close  up  his  business  with  a  sacrifie  sale.  But 
people  are  conservative,  and  no  doubt  shall  continue  to  trade  in 
the  old  places  and  in  the  old  way,  and  ample  time  be  given  for  a 
readjustment. 

But  many  shall,  no  doubt,  question  the  justice  or  fairness  of 
this  proposition  and  ask:  "What  has  the  middleman  done  that  he 
should  be  singled  out  and  sacrificed  on  the  altar  of  a  social  re- 
adjustment?" 

Rather  let  us  ask:  What  has  he  done  that  he  should  not  be 
sacrificed?  His  case  is  not  peculiar,  in  these  progressive  days,  it 
is  a  common  occurrence  for  a  man  to  wake  up  in  the  morning  and 


THE  CLOUDS  45 

find  his  occupation  gone,  for  during  the  night  some  genius  has  in- 
vented something  that  shall  temporarily  put  him,  the  unfortunate 
one,  out  of  business. 

Come  to  think  of  it,  it  is  not  standpatism,  but  the  very  un- 
certainty of  it  that  makes  earth  life  so  fascinating. 

COMPOSITE  UTOPIAS 

There  are  in  the  United  States  today  more  than  two  thousand, 
five  hundred  counties. 

The  county  shall  be  the  unit  of  our  composite  Utopias. 

These  counties  vary  greatly  as  to  the  size  of  their  territory, 
natural  resources,  climatic  conditions,  as  well  as  to  the  number 
and  the  character  of  their  inhabitants,  many  of  them  having  a  larger 
area  and  a  ntmierically  greater  population  than  the  ancient  re- 
publics, Sparta  and  Athens. 

When  we  consider  that  the  most  successful  republics  often 
have  been  very  small,  for  instance,  the  Florentine  and  the  Icelandic 
republics,  we  are  led  to  infer  that  pure  democracy  can  best  be 
realized  in  a  territory  the  size  of  a  county. 

While  the  counties  cannot  be  absolutely  independent,  being 
parts  of  the  states  and  of  the  republic,  local  option  or  home  rule 
for  the  county,  is  all  that  is  required  for  our  purposes. 

Being  parts  of  the  larger  body,  the  republic,  gives  peace  and 
security,  and  saves  the  energies  for  social  work.  Within  this  smaller 
unit,  too,  direct  votes  on  all  questions  pertaining  to  local  afifairs 
by  the  entire  population  is  practicable,  and  as  this  is  essential  to 
true  democracy,  the  realization  of  this  ideal  is  to  that  extent  made 
possible. 

As  the  county  is  our  unit,  we  need  not  enter  into  the  larger 
fields  of  politics.  If  we  can  make  the  county  right,  the  republic 
will  take  care  of  itself.  But  a  few  words  concerning  the  relation 
of  the  county  to  the  state  and  to  the  republic  are  not  out  of  place. 

The  state  rights  originally  were  meant  to  be  a  means  to  protect 
the  people  from  a  too  great  centralization  of  power.  But  the  states 
have  grown  to  an  extent  that  they  no  longer  answer  that  purpose, 
Many  of  them  have  now  a  population  more  than  twice  as  great  aS 
the  original  thirteen  states  together.  Therefore,  they  have  largely 
lost  their  usefulness  of  giving  the  people  a  more  direct  control  of 
the  public's  affairs.  If  decentralization  of  power  is  something 
to  be  desired,  the  county  should  be  the  proper  unit. 


46  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

Though  the  county  has  the  necessary  freedom  and  independence 
as  it  is,  we  shall,  nevertheless,  state  what  to  us  seems  desirable 
in  the  line  of  change,  namely,  that  the  state  legislatures  should  be 
chosen  by  counties,  regardless  of  the  number  of  the  population. 
Likewise,  the  federal  congress  by  states,  if  for  no  other  reason 
than  this — that  it  is  in  accord  with  the  principle  of  democracy  as 
quoted  elsewhere. 

As  individuals  have  equal  rights  as  individuals,  regardless  of 
what  they  possess,  so  counties  and  states  should  have  equal  rights, 
regardless  of  population.  Representation  according  to  the  number 
of  inhabitants  within  a  social  unit,  is  simply  a  remnant  of  the  idea 
that  men  are  property.  This  idea  subtly  steals  into  the  collective 
mind.  Counties,  cities,  states,  measure  their  greatness  according 
to  the  number  of  their  citizens,  and  assume  that  numbers  give  ad- 
ditional rights.  The  republic  recognizing  the  individual  as  the 
unit,  should  also  regard  its  separate  parts  as  individual  units  with 
equal  rights. 

No  one  doubts  that  each  of  the  three  millions  people  who 
founded  this  republic  compares  favorably  with  each  of  the  hundred 
millions  living  today.  And  no  one  will  doubt  that  men  from  sparcely 
settled  counties  may  be  just  as  wise  and  good  as  the  citizens  from 
the  more  densely  populated  districts. 

We  must  touch  upon  another  matter  of  importance  in  the  re- 
lation of  the  county  to  the  republic.  The  public  servants  have 
many  idle  moments,  and  in  these  idle  moments,  they  indulge  in, 
as  we  hope,  idle  dreams.  Their  favorite  dream  is  to  develop  a 
partly  hereditary  class  of  officials,  ultimately,  a  ruling  class.  No 
small  ambition  that.  The  civil  service  laws,  by  the  way,  are  favor- 
able to  the  development  of  this  idea. 

The  county  is  in  a  position  to  effectually  counteract  this  ten- 
dency. Being  a  miniature  republic,  and  as  such  an  excellent  train- 
ing ground  for  the  offices  of  the  state  and  the  republic,  the  officials 
of  the  county  could  be  promoted  to  the  higher  units  by  the  county 
and  recalled  to  the  county  or  replaced  to  private  life  as  soon  as  they 
showed  any  tendency  to  forget  their  place. 

Next,  we  have  tlie  military  class.  The  officers  of  the  army  and 
navy  have  the  same  tendency  to  become  clannish,  to  form  a  class 
apart  from  the  people.  Here  again,  the  county  could  do  efficient 
service  by  counteracting  this  tendency. 

Let  the  police  force  of  the  county  form  the  nucleus  of  the 
military  forces  of  the  republic,  preferably  receiving  their  pay  from 


THE  CLOUDS  47 

the  counties,  and  each  county  being  under  obUgation  to  furnish  a 
given  quota  of  soldiers  or  policemen  to  the  state  or  to  the  republic 
in  case  of  emergency. 

It  would  undoubtedly  be  beneficial  in  many  respects,  if  all  the 
boys  were  separated  from  their  parents  and  given  a  military  train- 
ing for  two  years,  their  fifteenth  and  sixteenth.  Most  boys,  when 
they  graduate  from  the  public  schools,  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  are 
tired  of  study,  both  their  mind  and  body  need  physical  exercise 
and  a  life  in  the  open  air.  Drilling  and  sport,  and  the  acquirement 
of  the  skill  of  the  use  of  arms  and  the  discipline  needed  for  con- 
certed action,  combined  with  the  theoretical  and  practical  knowledge 
of  surveying  and  military  and  civil  engineering,  would  not  only  make 
them  fit  material  for  an  army  in  case  of  emergency,  but  give  them  a 
military  bearing  and  a  sense  of  comradeship  not  easily  acquired 
in  any  other  way.  Besides  this,  they  would  be  weaned  from  their 
parents,  and  what  is  probably  more  important,  the  parents  would 
be  weaned  from  them.  This  separation  from  the  parental  in- 
fluence would  also  give  the  boys  time  and  opportunity  to  decide  for 
themselves  their  future  career. 

Having  decided  on  the  county  as  the  size  of  our  composite 
Utopia  our  next  move  must  be  to  make  it  independent  of  all  or- 
ganizations apart  from  those  of  the  republic.  While  private  Utopias, 
families,  churches,  fraternities,  and  corporations  may  flourish  with- 
in its  borders,  they  should  exist  as  something  external  to  it,  as  some- 
thing not  essential  to  the  county's  life  and  well  being  but  be  more 
like  an  ant  hill  at  the  root  of  a  tree,  or  like  owls  and  eagles  or  other 
birds  building  their  nests  in  its  branches. 

The  public  schools  we  consider  an  affair  of  the  republic, 
and  while  their  maintenance  rest  on  the  county,  the  republic  must 
see  to  it  that  the  teachings  are  up  to  the  standard,  and  that  it  is 
kept  absolutely  free  from  anything  of  a  sectarian  nature,  religious 
or  Utopian.  Truth  is  the  same  in  all  counties.  There  is  no  sects 
in  arithmetic.    Truth  is  a  unifying  principle. 

As  this  is  in  accord  with  the  existing  order  of  things,  we  shall 
pass  on  to  the  higher  education. 

While  it  is  necessary  that  the  public  education  should  be  com- 
pulsory and  general,  in  order  to  lift  the  individuals  up  to  the  niveit 
required  to  uphold  the  principles  of  democracy,  it  is  not  desirable 
that  any  higher  education  should  be  forced  upon  any  individual. 
Compulsory  education  beyond  a  certain  point,  be  it  by  the  state 
or  by  the  persuasion  of  parents  and  friends,  often  results  in  creating 
an  enmity  towards  the  arts  and  sciences  on  the  part  of  the  un- 


48  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

happy  ones  thus  imposed  upon.  And  the  arts  and  the  sciences 
are  in  no  way  profited  by  it.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  desirable  that 
higher  education  should  be  open  to  anyone  who,  at  any  time,  should 
feel  a  desire  to  acquire  a  greater  knowledge,  and  it  is  Utopian  to 
make  this  possible. 

The  scientist  is  something  besides  a  teacher,  though  one  func- 
tion need  not  necessarily  exclude  the  other. 

And  this  is  the  trouble  with  the  scientist  as  such  that  the  search 
for  truth  is  not  spectacular,  and  in  consequence  thereof,  rarely 
profiable  in  a  pecuniary  sense  to  himself,  and  in  the  same  sense, 
not  always  to  others. 

As  a  bread  winner,  the  artist  is  better  situated.  Even  the  least 
paid  of  all  artists,  the  poet,  has  a  better  chance,  and  when  it  comes 
to  the  fistic  artist,  the  prize  fighter,  there  is  no  comparison.  Further, 
a  scientist  may  seek  and  never  find,  and  then  again,  he  may  find 
some  truths  that  are  not  palatable  to  the  multitude.  Hence,  he  is, 
in  many  instances,  dependent  on  what  sometimes  is  termed,  a  higher 
charity.  As  such,  we  consider  the  generous  donation  to  the  great 
universities  by  men  of  wealth,  and  by  w^ealthy  denominations. 

But  the  ideals  of  the  rich  and  the  ideals  of  the  churches  are 
not  always  the  ideals  of  science.  Though  this,  of  course,  should 
not,  and  probably  does  not,  in  any  way  affect  the  scientist  or  in  any 
way  influence  his  work,  it  must  at  least  be  annoying  if  his  thoughts 
are  at  variance  with  those  of  the  donors.  And  it  comes  to  this, 
that  the  support  of  the  scientist  becomes  a  vital  interest  to  Utopians. 

Only  a  man  with  a  fortune  of  his  own  can  be  said  to  be  in  an 
ideal  position  materially,  to  devote  his  time  to  the  sciences.  But 
the  next  best  should  be  to  be  provided  for  by  society.  For  is  he 
not  the  rightful  heir  to  some  of  the  material  benefits  which  the 
work  of  science  has  made  possible? 

Supply  and  demand  fixes  the  commercial  value  of  any  article. 
Even  so  of  the  scientists.  If  all  the  counties  should  make  scientific 
research  a  part  of  their  activities,  the  market  value  of  the  scientist 
would  be  greatly  increased. 

The  problem  is  to  make  it  possible  for  a  scientist  to  exist  within 
the  county  under  better  conditions  than  at  the  great  universities, 
economically  more  secure,  in  investigation  more  free,  in  giving  his 
ideas  to  the  world,  more  at  liberty. 

But  of  equal  or  even  more  importance  it  must  be  to  inquire, 
if  science  itself  would  be  liable  to  be  better  advanced  in  the  counties 
than  at  the  great  universities.  It  would,  of  course,  as  a  rule,  be 
impossible  to  compete  with  them  in  the  matter  of  laboratories  and 
general  equipment,  but  in  many  branches,  it  would  be  a  great  ad- 


THE  CLOUDS  49 

vantage  to  have  trained  observers  in  all  parts  of  the  country.  A 
vaster  field  would  then  come  under  the  observation  of  the  scien- 
tifically trained,  and  some  experiments  could  be  conducted  on  a 
larger  scale. 

In  the  carrying  out  of  experiments,  we  can  safely  assume, 
that  within  the  boundaries  of  any  county,  there  are  many  skilled 
mechanics  and  workmen  skilled  in  other  lines,  who  would  be  glad 
to  lend  the  scientists  their  assistance  where  such  assistance  was 
required. 

Given  an  opportunity  to  assist  in  this  work  would  tend  to 
increase  the  interest  in,  and  the  love  for,  the  sciences  on  the  part 
of  the  people.  We  are  often  told  that  science  has  done  much  for 
us.  This  breeds  antagonism,  for  it  is  against  our  nature  to  love 
our  creditor.     Reverse  these  conditions  and  this  antagonism  ceases. 

Though  the  scientists  would  be  scattered  far  and  wide,  they 
should  not  necessarily,  on  that  account,  feel  isolated.  Besides  all 
other  lines  of  communication,  we  take  it  for  granted  that  at  all 
the  county  seats,  a  station  for  wireless  telegraphy  would  be  estab- 
lished, and  by  these  means,  the  scientists  would  be  in  direct  touch 
with  one  another. 

THE  CORNER  STONE 

The  heart  or  center  of  our  county  Utopias  shall  be  the  poor- 
house.  Nothing  could  be  more  fit  for  that  purpose.  Although  it 
may  be  the  stone  which  the  builders  have  rejected,  we  shall  never- 
less  make  it  the  corner  stone  of  our  structure. 

The  republic  has  a  complete  system  of  life  insurances — poor- 
houses  for  the  poor,  hospitals  for  the  sick  or  insane,  and  jails  for 
the  wicked.  Why,  then  is  it  that  men  prefer  private  institution? 
We  are  taxed  to  support  the  institutions  of  the  republic  and  as 
the  taxes  in  a  free  country  are  self-imposed,  we  ought  not  to  feel 
any  more  humiliated  by  receiving  help  from  the  republic  than  from 
insurance  companies  or  benevolent  associations. 

The  republic  itself  goes  back  on  its  own  system  of  charity 
and  erects  old  soldiers'  homes.  Some  advocate  pension  for  mothers 
and  pension  for  laboring  men.  What  is  the  matter  with  the  poor- 
house?  If  the  condition  of  the  poorhouses  are  not  satisfactory, 
were  it  not  better  to  improve  what  we  already  have  than  to  spend 
our  money  and  energy  in  creating  new  institutions  of  that  kind 
or  supporting  private  institutions. 

The  name,  poorhouse,  is  against  it.  So  we  shall  change  that 
name  and  call  it  the  Home  of  the  Brave. 

The  Home  of  the  Brave  sounds  beautiful,  and  it  would  be 


50  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

an  advantage  to  use  that  name  instead  of  composite  Utopias,  as  it 
would  be  more  correct  to  call  our  intelligent  Utopias,  American 
Homes.  The  homes  we  now  have  are  in  no  way  different  from  the 
homes  of  the  Europeans. 

To  change  the  name  of  the  poorhouse  is  easy  enough,  but  it 
shall  be  harder  to  change  our  sentiment  in  regard  to  it.  To  make 
it  self-supporting,  would  help  a  great  deal,  and  it  should  be  pos- 
sible to  turn  it  into  a  self-supporting  health  resort.  Having  the 
hospitals,  the  doctors,  the  nurses,  all  that  is  needed  is  to  enlarge  it, 
or  make  it  like  a  first  class  hotel.  Many  of  those,  who  for  a  given 
sum,  paid  by  themselves  or  others,  go  to  private  homes  for  the 
old  or  to  orphans  homes,  would  in  time,  prefer  the  county  institu- 
tion if  it  was  properly  conducted.  This  would  tend  to  make  the 
poorhouse  respectable,  and  if  some  prominent  citizens  made  it  their 
permanent  home,  it  would  even  become  fashionable.  This  idea  is 
not  new,  it  is  simply  the  renewal  of  the  customs  of  our  forefathers. 
On  the  larger  estates,  dependent  people  like  orphans,  old  people, 
and  invalids  were  taken  care  of  as  a  matter  of  course  without  any 
thought  that  they  were  paupers  or  objects  of  charity. 

We  are  a  floating  population,  we  have  no  roots  anywhere,  no 
homes  in  the  older  sense  of  the  word,  and  it  is  small  pleasure  to 
return  to  the  scenes  of  our  childhood  and  find  the  old  homestead 
in  the  hands  of  a  stranger  or  the  apartment  building  wherein  our 
folks  once  rented  a  flat,  turned  into  a  piano  factory.  It  would 
have  a  sentimental  value,  at  least,  to  have  some  spot  on  earth  that 
we  could  call  our  home — a  place  where  we  had  friends  and  kindred 
who  would  follow  our  career  with  some  interest,  and  to  which  we 
could  return  and  be  sure  to  find  some  of  our  old  time  associates, 
where  we  could  roam  again  in  the  wildwoods  where  once  we 
wandered  hand  in  hand  with  our  first  sweetheart,  so  deeply  in  love 
that  we  could  not  speak,  but  carved  our  initials  and  an  arrow- 
pierced  hearts  in  the  bark  of  green  trees. 

In  charity  there  is  strength.  Rich  families  gain  power  and 
permanence  by  expending  some  of  their  wealth  to  charities,  and  rich 
men  like  to  pose,  not  as  possessors,  but  as  stewards  of  wealth,  and 
enlarge  on  the  grave  responsibility  possessions  incur  and  on  the 
great  risks  they  take.  But  when  they  are  about  to  depart  and 
ought  to  give  an  account  of  their  stewardships  to  the  people,  they, 
as  a  rule,  take  another  great  risk  and  give  their  fortune  to  their 
heirs  and  assigns  forever. 

The  power  of  religious  bodies,  too,  rests  largely  on  the  sup- 
position that  they  minister  to  the  wants  of  the  poor,  the  downcast 


THE  CLOUDS  51 

in  spirit,  the  sick  at  heart.  Insurance  companies  and  benevolent 
associations,  also  derive  their  strength  from  the  same  source, 
charity. 

EXTENSION 

"Where  our  treasures  are  there  our  hearts  will  be  also,"  is  a 
reasonable  saying,  therefore,  a  county  bank  and  depository  is  needed. 

But  nothing  strengthens  our  affection  for  a  thing  more  than 
the  opportunity  of  doing  something  for  it.  The  activities  at  our 
chosen  center  shall  therefore  be  considered. 

The  function  of  the  middleman  offers  itself  as  the  easiest, 
and  could,  under  proper  direction,  as  suggested  before,  be  performed 
by  paupers  and  the  inefficient.  If  an  intelligent  Utopia  already  had 
overtaken  that  function,  a  majority  might  decide  this  function  ought 
to  be  a  public  affair.  In  the  hands  of  private  parties,  it  gives  an 
advantage  that  can  easily  be  misused. 

Sooner  or  later,  it  must  dawn  on  the  consciousness  of  a  ma- 
jority, that  if  we  want  to  carry  out  a  more  socialistic  program,  we 
should  begin  with  what  most  readily  becomes  automatic:  the 
operation  of  lines  of  communication  and  transportation,  and  the 
function  of  the  middleman.  On  the  other  hand,  all  creative  func- 
tions ought  to  be  left  free :  Changing  our  fashions,  changing  our 
needs,  changing  ourselves  in  an  everlasting  attempt  at  readjust- 
ment. 

The  competitive  system  in  order  to  be  complete,  should  itself 
have  a  competitor  in  a  co-operative  system  of  some  kind  and  the 
county  as  an  economic  unit  furnishes  that  competitor,  and  as  there 
are  people  especially  fitted  for  competition,  there  are  others 
whose  character  is  more  in  accord  with  co-operation.  Only  a  few 
perhaps  are  so  harmoniously  developed  that  their  self-interest  and 
public  spirit  is  properly  balanced  and  there  ought  to  be  an  oppor- 
tunity for  those  who  take  more  interest  in  public  affairs  than  in 
their  own,  to  follow  that  inclination  and  with  their  efforts  counter- 
act the  efforts  of  the  activities  of  those  who  are  onesided  the  other 
way,  and  whose  interest  are  centered  absolutely  on  their  own  affairs. 

To  connect  the  poor  farm  with  a  school  of  agriculture  is  an 
easy  matter,  and  the  benefit  of  an  institution  of  this  kind  within  a 
county  would  be  inestimable. 

Work-houses  operating  in  connection  with  a  school  of  manual 
training  are  even  more  important. 

In  earlier  periods,  children  were  trained  in  hunting  and  fishing, 
and  later,  in  the  arts  and  handicrafts,  or  in  all  the  activities  needed 
to  make  a  living.     So  we,  too,  must  realize  that  children  should 


52  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

have  a  chance  to  learn  to  skillfully  handle  tools  and  operate  the 
machinery  of  modern  times,  and  a  chance  to  acquire  a  theoretical 
knowledge  of  the  forces  now  at  our  command. 

This  cannot  be  done  in  the  homes,  as  formerly,  and  very  im- 
perfectly in  the  factories,  where  the  teaching  of  the  child  does  not 
largely  enter  into  the  bargain,  since  the  output  is  the  main  con- 
sideration. 

Here  the  manual  training  schools  in  connection  with  the  work- 
houses could  meet  all  demands,  first,  by  giving  instruction ;  secondly, 
a  chance  to  experiment;  and  thirdly,  be  a  source  of  income,  both 
to  the  county  and  to  the  children. 

To  many  business  and  professional  men,  a  work-house  would  be 
a  playground,  giving  them  a  chance  of  occupation  and  an  oppor- 
tunity to  follow  certain  fads,  like  experimenting,  creating  and  as- 
sisting in  the  manufacturing  of  beautiful  and  useful  things.  In 
this,  they  would  find  rest  and  recreation  and  an  outlet  for  the 
surplus  energies,  it  would  also  free  many  from  the  fear  of  labor 
which  haunts  those  who  never  tried  it  as  the  fear  of  hell  in  former 
days. 

And  it  would  do  away  with  the  contempt  for  such  labor, 
which  still  clings  to  it  from  the  time  it  was  performed  by  slaves. 

A  workhouse  with  modern  equipments  would  tend  to  make 
a  county  independent.  If  some  manufacturers  should  threaten  to 
stop  the  wheels  of  industry  or  put  up  the  price  of  their  products 
greatly  in  excess  of  the  cost  of  production,  then  the  county,  having 
some  wheels  of  industry  of  its  own  to  fall  back  on,  and  men  and 
people  with  the  skill  to  operate  them,  could,  in  a  pinch,  for  some 
time  at  least,  produce  the  article  needed. 

The  cost  of  the  equipment  of  a  model  work-house  is  within 
the  means  of  the  poorest  county,  and  even  if  it  should  not  prove  to 
be  a  money-making  concern,  would  be  a  good  investment. 

We  have  lost  sight  of  the  fact  that  the  cost  of  the  machinery 
and  tools  in  many  industries  is  not  so  very  great.  Take  the  garment 
work,  for  instance,  four  millions  of  people  are  employed  in  that 
branch  of  industry,  and  about  all  the  machinery  and  tools  needed 
are  sewing  machines,  scissors,  a  tailor's  goose,  and  a  few  needles. 

Knitting  machines,  too,  are  inexpensive  and  easy  to  operate. 
So  we  see,  as  far  as  clothes  and  underwear  are  concerned,  a  county 
need  not  be  dependent  on  the  whims  of  the  great  manufacturers. 
Spinning  of  the  thread  and  weaving  the  cloth  would  require  more 
machinery,  but  the  training  in  operating  these  machines  would  be 
a  great  benefit.  A  blacksmith  shop  and  a  machine  shop  would  be 
indispensable,  and  could  possibly  be  made  to  pay  by  repairing  tools 


THE  CLOUDS  53 

and  machines  within  the  county.  Another  branch  of  industry  that 
requires  but  Httle  tools  is  the  building  trades,  at  least,  for  the  erec- 
tion of  smaller  structures  like  cottages  and  bungalows.  A  print- 
ing press,  both  for  training  and  for  profit  is  within  the  means  of  a 
county,  likewise,  machinery  for  bookbinding.  With  these  equip- 
ments and  proper  instruction,  the  children  of  a  county  could  have 
their  own  school  books  printed  and  bound,  and  prepare  the  sta- 
tionery for  the  business  of  the  county. 

The  name  "work-house"  is  good  enough,  but  in  order  to  get 
away  from  the  idea  it  now  conveys,  and  to  distinguish  it  from  shops 
and  factories,  we  shall  call  this  combination  of  a  manual  training 
school  and  work-house  a  Creatory. 

Domestic  science  for  girls  fits  them  for  their  special  task  of 
preparing  and  preserving  the  eatables,  and  any  county  could  easily 
put  up  canneries  and  storage  establishments  enough  to  furnish 
products  of  that  kind  for  home  consumption.  And  the  inhabitants 
need  not  be  dependent  on  outsiders  or  on  the  enforcement  of  pure 
food  laws.  At  any  rate,  such  training  would  be  of  great  advantage 
when  they  were  called  upon  to  examine  the  foods  sold  in  the 
market. 

PRESERVATION 

Among  the  treasures  of  the  county,  we  must  include  the  orig- 
inally living  forms  existing  therein :  the  flowers,  the  trees,  the  fish, 
the  animals,  the  insects,  the  birds. 

To  preserve  this  wealth  is  difficult,  and  in  order  to  do  so,  it 
would  be  necessary  to  have  reservations  or  tracts  of  the  wilderness 
set  aside. 

On  larger  estates,  something  of  this  sort  is  practiced  when 
they  lay  out  great  tracts  for  the  preservation  of  game. 

Anything  of  that  sort  is  impossible  when  all  the  land  is  cut  up 
and  made  into  small  farms.  But  the  county,  as  a  whole,  could 
adopt  this  feature  of  the  large  private  estates,  and  select  some  land 
for  the  preservation  and  cultivation  of  useful  game  and  other 
creatures,  be  it  for  their  beauty  alone,  or  for  other  reasons. 

When  we  consider  the  countless  ages  it  has  taken  to  bring 
into  existence  every  one  of  the  living  forms,  and  that  it  seems 
impossible  to  bring  them  back  to  life,  once  they  are  extinct,  it  is 
with  sadness  we  think  of  any  of  them  as  becoming  extinct. 

These  tracts  of  land  being  common  property,  could  in  many 
instances  be  selected  in  localities  where  land  is  not  valuable  or  fit 
for  cultivation.  But  even  if  it  were  so,  it  would  be  worth  while. 
In  prairie  states,  the  best  way  probably  would  be  to  have  a  strip 


54  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

of  land  on  the  boundary  lines  of  the  counties  reserved  for  this 
purpose.  All  counties  adopting  this  plan  would  make  the  reserva- 
tion continuous,  a  great  convenience  for  animals  that  cannot  fly. 

Thus,  the  vanishing  forms  could  be  caught  and  retained  in  a 
wonderful  net  as  it  were,  and  from  the  heights  of  the  aviators, 
it  would  appear  as  if  a  thin  veil  were  thrown  over  these  United 
States,  enhancing  their  beauty. 

Another  reason  why  the  wilderness  should  be  preserved  in  spots 
is  that  it  is  the  natural  abode  for  prophets  and  hermits.  These  also 
ought  to  be  preserved.  Prophets  were,  and  are  today,  the  critics 
of  Utopias,  and  the  wilderness  gives  them  an  excellent  opportunity 
to  behold  the  activities  at  the  center  objectively  and  compare  them 
with  the  life  in  the  jungle.  Tor  while  utopianism  is  an  art,  and  while 
art  is  not  nature,  we  need  always  to  be  reminded  that  it  should  be 
true  to  life  in  its  most  free  expression. 

THE  HUT 

Among  other  things  that  ought  to  be  preserved  is  the  hut  and 
the  ideal  it  represents.  For,  seek  as  we  may,  to  make  the  central 
home  magnificent,  even  if  we  succeed  in  this,  it  cannot  replace  the 
hut.  And  in  a  composite  Utopia  our  aim  should  be  to  preserve  it. 
For  the  ideal  of  having  a  home  of  our  own,  all  our  own,  cannot  be 
eradicated  from  our  minds.     It  ought  not  to  be  so. 

In  its  proper  surroundings,  out  in  the  county  at  the  edge  of 
forest,  in  a,  flowery  dell  beside  a  murmuring  brook  the  hut, 
is  a  dream  with  a  peculiar  poetic  atmosphere. 

All  this  talk  about  the  simple  life  and  the  going  back  to  nature 
only  expresses  man's  longing  for  the  hut,  his  original  home,  and  for 
the  moment  we  like  to  think  of  utopianism  as  a  renaissance  of  the 
hut. 

The  hut  persists.  The  tenement  houses  and  hovels  are  nothing 
but  degraded  huts. 

As  an  attempt  to  redeem  the  hut  we  consider  the  building  of 
bungalows.  To  begin  with  the  bungalow  was  small  as  a  hut  should 
be.  But  soon  bungalows  developed  into  the  size  of  a  mansion  and 
lost  all  significance  as  the  reappearance  of  our  ancestral  home. 

The  hut  is  the  home  of  true  love.  Love  in  a  cottage  is  common 
enough  but  in  the  hut,  if  anywhere,  are  found  two  hearts  that  beat 
as  one.     So  much  depends  on  the  size  of  the  dwelling. 

Only  in  castles  are  morganatic  marriages  allowed,  but  in  man- 
sions of  lesser  magnitude  soul-mates,  affinities  and  other  musk- 
smelling  things  can  so  easily  creep  in.  The  very  largeness  of  the 
residences  invites  them,  and  the  very  spaciousness  of  tlie  apart- 


THE  CLOUDS  55 

ments,  too,  permits  the  original  lovers  to  drift  apart,  become 
estranged  and  prematurely  divorced.  As  said  before,  so  much  de- 
pends on  the  size.  The  hut  excludes  not  only  the  above  mentioned 
destroyers  of  conjugal  bliss,  but  also  the  lesser  evils,  relatives, 
servants,  chauffers,  etc. 

True  love  begets  children,  and  even  more  than  the  happiness 
of  the  parents,  the  welfare  of  the  children  should  be  considered. 
And  children  seem  to  prefer  the  hut  even  in  its  degraded  condition. 
The  mansions  and  better  class  of  residences  are,  comparatively 
speaking,  barren,  but  in  the  slums  babies  abound. 

This  we  cannot  help  but  regret.  Rather  would  we  see  this 
condition  reversed,  that  is,  see  the  children  in  the  palaces,  as  we 
might  prefer  to  see  lilies  grow  in  marble  dust.  But  since  the  lilies 
themselves  prefer  a  richer  soil,  what  does  it  matter  to  us  so  long  as 
they  grow. 

What  does  it  matter  if  the  hut  be  only  a  small  affair,  and 
patched  up  with  broken  boards?  In  the  knot  holes,  we  can  put 
green  branches,  and  the  fragrant  leaves  shall  cover  the  cracks. 

If  the  mother  has  no  money  to  buy  finery  for  her  baby,  what 
does  it  matter?  From  fields  and  forests,  she  will  gather  sweet- 
scented  flowers  wherewith  to  adorn  the  cradle,  or,  as  the  case 
may  be,  the  cracker  box  doing  service  as  such.  Again,  what  does 
it  matter?  The  Prince  who  was  born  in  Bethlehem  had  not  better 
place. 

The  hut  is  the  hope  of  the  race. 

On  the  doorstep  of  the  hut,  we  shall  take  off  our  shoes  and  our 
hat  also,  realizing  that  we  are  on  holy  ground,  where,  to  use  Long- 
fellow's words,  "Life  is  real,  life  is  earnest,  and  the  grave  is  not 
our  goal." 

Though  Utopians  cannot  do  much  for  the  hut  without  destroy- 
ing its  essential  features — simplicity  and  littleness — nevertheless, 
there  are  many  of  the  modern  improvements  in  lighting  and  heating 
and  in  other  matters  that  could  be  adopted  for  its  use,  as  in  a  well- 
constructed  bungalow. 

While  we  may  doubt  the  advantage  of  being  born  in  a  hut, 
there  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  advantages  of  being  raised  in  the 
country,  near  the  wilderness  from  which  we  came.  Mingling  with 
the  myriads  of  living  forms  there  to  be  found,  children  have  beauti- 
ful and  true  impressions  made  on  their  plastic  minds,  and  observing 
the  plants  and  animals,  watching  and  waiting  for  their  going  and 
coming,  gives  color  to  their  imagination  and  flight  to  their  fancy  and 
depth  to  their  consciousness.  He  who  has  not  seen  this  world  in 
his  infancy,  shall  probably  never  see  it.    Soon  we  are  lost  in  thought 


56  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

and  blinded  by  passions,  and  our  minds  become  crowded  with 
images  that  obscure  our  vision.  Sometimes,  though,  it  may  happen 
in  rare  peaceful  moments,  that  all  that  lies  between  us  and  that  world 
passes  away,  and  we  regain  the  immediate  perception  of  early  child- 
hood. Then  tlie  song  of  the  birds  is  like  hearing  again  that  wonder- 
ful lost  chord ;  and  the  yellowness  of  buttercups  and  the  blueness  of 
bluebells  strikes  us  as  something  new  and  strange. 

Can  it  be  that  the  animals,  with  brains  void  of  ideas,  behold 
a  much  brighter  world  than  ours? 

A  LOVERS'  LANE 

In  connection  with  the  hut,  we  shall  mention  an  institution 
that  deserves  preservation  where  it  already  exists,  and  where 
this  is  not  the  case,  its  introduction  and  improvement  ought  to 
interest  those  who  want  to  create  a  composite  Utopia.  We  refer  to 
the  lovers'  lane.  Something  like  a  lovers'  lane  exists  in  many 
places,  that  is,  there  are  boulevards  or  avenues  where  lovers,  by 
common  understanding,  meet  and  promenade.  And,  where  no  such 
institution  is  found,  as  in  the  rural  districts,  it  is  sadly  missed  by 
the  young.  No  doubt  one  of  the  reasons  why  so  many  young 
people  leave  the  country,  where  they  are  always  under  the  observa- 
tion of  neighbors  and  friends,  and  go  to  the  great  cities,  is  that  they 
expect  to  get  greater  freedom  in  love  affairs  and  a  wider  field  for 
romances.  But  in  the  great  cities  the  lovers'  lane,  like  the  hut,  is 
found  in  an  utterly  degraded  condition,  under  the  name  of  the 
"red  light  district."  But  the  fact  that  a  lovers'  lane  may  fall  that 
low  does  not  prove  that  it  is  a  bad  thing;  at  least,  it  is  an  un- 
conscious effort  to  localize  the  war  between  the  sexes.  Even 
animals  instinctively  select  playgrounds,  where  they  meet  during 
the  mating  season.  Recognizing  and  respecting  this  natural  impulse 
of  lovers  to  meet  and  facilitate  it  to  a  certain  extent,  shall  enable 
us  to  put  it  under  intelligent  control.  Total  suppression  because 
of  the  excesses  following  in  the  wake  of  love,  tends  to  increase 
these  excesses  and  creates  the  red  light  district.  A  lovers'  lane  that 
would  do  away  with  this  traffic  by  idealizing,  even  spiritualizing  the 
love  instinct,  ought  to  be  seriously  considered  by  all  right  minded 
citizens. 

Many  new  problems  presents  themselves  for  our  consideration 
as  we  go  deeper  into  utopianism,  and  we  must  limit  ourselves  to 
a  few  hints  only  in  regard  to  the  character  of  a  lovers'  lane,  but 
romantic  literature  must  contain  many  valuable  suggestions.  If  we 
remember  correctly,  it  should  be  a  winding  road,  with  many  byways 
and   paths   leading   to   leafy   bowers,   grottoes,   and   mossy   banks. 


THE  CLOUDS  57 

Quaint  little  inns  here  and  there,  where  coffee  and  light  refresh- 
ments were  served  is  in  keeping  with  its  general  character.  Dancing 
in  a  moonlit  grove  adjoining  the  lovers'  lane  would  be  a  valuable 
addition.  Lovers'  time  is  the  night  time,  especially  the  time  of 
moonlight.  To  embellish  the  scene,  marble  cupids  might  be  placed 
among  the  flowers  and  shrubbery.  Singing  of  serenades  to  the 
accompaniment  of  guitars  and  mandolins,  shall  create  a  poetic 
atmosphere. 

But  dancing  in  the  open  air  makes  the  participants  liable  to 
take  cold.  To  prevent  this  we  should,  let  the  lovers  carry  an 
Indian  blanket  or  Scotch  plaid  in  the  style  of  a  Roman  togo.  This 
garment  the  lovers  could  wrap  around  them  when  they  were  resting 
in  the  grottoes  or  on  the  mossy  bank.  If  the  lovers  were  thus 
provided,  their  mothers  would  not  feel  concerned  about  them,  and 
these  togas,  many  colored  and  perhaps  finely  embroidered,  shall 
lend  color  to  the  lovers'  lane. 

Let  us  not  for  a  moment  imagine  that  this  arrangement  shall 
lead  to  free  love.  Love  is  not  free  in  nature  but  a  dangerous 
proposition,  and  the  rivalries  of  lovers  shall  make  the  lovers'  lane 
a  dangerous  ground.  It  was  customary  once,  and  may  be  so  again, 
to  place  some  obstacle  between  a  lover  and  the  object  of  his  desire 
to  test  the  strength  of  his  ardor.  The  fight  and  contention  we 
observe  among  males  in  the  mating  season  stimulates  the  lovers  to 
their  highest  pitch  and  this  temporary  heightened  vitality,  we  as- 
sume, is  greatly  to  the  benefit  of  posterity.  The  great  importance 
of  this  part  of  utopianism  makes  experimenting  absolutely  neces- 
sary, and  in  this  as  in  other  matters,  let  us  remember  the  words  of 
the  philosopher :     "There  are  many  ways,  but  the  way  is  not." 

All  lanes  must  lead  somewhere.  The  lovers'  lane  should  lead, 
figuratively  speaking,  to  matrimony,  and  actually  to  the  bungalows. 
This  would  be  similar  to  the  beautiful  custom  of  putting  bird-houses 
up  in  the  trees  for  the  use  of  orioles  and  wild  canaries. 

MARRIAGE 

Following  this,  a  few  remarks  on  matrimony  within  a  com- 
posite Utopia,  are  not  amiss.  That  a  county,  while  allowing  exist- 
ing forms  of  marriage,  shall  create  a  peculiar  one  of  its  own  is 
more  than  likely.  Let  us  remember  that  great  changes  can  be 
brought  about  with  but  a  little  divergence  from  the  existing  order 
at  the  start. 

Since  we  have  divorce  laws,  for  instance,  there  is  nothing  to 


58  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

prevent  that  divorces  be  considered  honorable,  that  is,  that  it  shall 
become  good  form  to  separate  when  the  natural  end  of  all  marriages 
draw  near. 

That  there  is  a  period  in  a  married  woman's  life,  broadly  speak- 
ing, around  the  age  of  forty,  when  her  whole  nature  instinctively 
craves  a  separation  from  her  husband  has  been  observed  by  many. 
Pinero  in  his  play,  "Mid-Channel"'  and  Karen  Alichaelis  in  her 
book,  "The  Dangerous  Age,"  call  attention  to  this  peculiarity.  It 
seems  to  indicate  that  this  should  be  the  natural  end  of  a  normal 
marriage.  But  instead  of  taking  that  hint  and  institute  an  honorable 
divorce  the  moral  fadist  demands  that  this  critical  period  be  bridged 
over  so  that  the  marriage  ideal,  that  two  shall  stick  together  until 
death  do  them  part,  be  retained.  And,  so  long  as  we  are  not  beyond 
marriage,  and  so  long  as  we  have  no  social  form  that  can  fill  the 
function  of  the  family,  it  is  undoubtedly  the  most  sensible  thing 
to  do. 

If  there  is  a  similar  period  in  married  men's  life,  when  a  desire 
for  divorce  enters  their  minds,  it  seems  to  be  less  marked,  but  many 
have  noticed  a  moral  degeneracy  in  men  as  they  grow  older.  This 
degeneracy,  however,  may  be  only  the  awakening  of  a  man's  true 
self,  a  self,  that  by  suggestions,  was  held  in  tlie  clutches  of  moral 
codes  utterly  at  variance  with  his  character.  Can  Utopians  expect 
much  assistance  from  that  class?  It  depends.  Most  men  at  that 
age  care  only  for  themselves,  and  if  their  social  instincts  are  still 
strong  enough  to  prompt  them  to  do  something  socially,  their  minds 
usually  turns  to  the  creation  of  museums,  mausoleums  and  monu- 
ments. Dwelling  on  these  and  other  depressing  affairs,  they  die. 
If  they  turned  their  minds  and  energies  toward  Utopias  divorces,  or 
a  youthful  feature  like  lovers'  lane,  a  new  lease  of  life  would  be 
given  them,  for  is  it  not  written  that  old  men  shall  have  dreams 
and  that  they  shall  renew  their  strength. 

To  make  divorces  respectable,  would  help  us  to  realize  that 
marriage  is  only  an  episode  in  a  human  life,  that  it  is  not  the  aim 
and  end  of  all  existence,  but  that  our  true  existence  as  individuals, 
lies  beyond  marriage.  Let  us  suppose,  for  example,  that  a  woman's 
lifetime  is  one  hundred  years,  and  since  many  have  reached  that 
age,  there  is  nothing  exaggerated  in  that  supposition,  then  let  us 
give  twenty  years  for  childhood  and  youth,  and  twenty  more  for 
marriage,  now  the  question  arises :  What  shall  a  woman  do  during 
the  remaining  sixty  years  of  her  life  ?  Live  for  her  children  ?  But 
the  children  more  often  v/ant  to  be  left  alone.  A  better  way,  it  seems 
to  us,  it  would  be  for  v.-omen  at  this  age,  to  enter  into  the  larger 
activities  of  the  larger  home,  the  heart  of  the  country.     And  there 


THE  CLOUDS  59 

are  great  opportunities  here.     Take  the  saloon,   for  example,  by 
woman  it  might  be  converted  into  a  salon  or  a  people's  court. 

THE  SALOON 

To  have  a  free  and  open  court  like  the  saloon,  where  all  kinds 
of  people  can  meet  and  mingle  is  essential  to  the  growth  of  uto- 
pianism,  and  the  social  spirit  on  which  it  depends.  The  saloon 
thrives  in  spite  of  persecution,  which  proves  that  it  fills  a  social 
want.  At  present  perhaps  it  is  a  rank  growth,  but  by  applying 
the  science  of  grafting  it  can  be  cultivated  and  changed,  as  we  in 
other  growths  can  graft  twigs  of  apple  trees,  grape  vines  and  cherry 
trees,  and  of  the  fruits  thus  produced,  make  various  kinds  of  drinks, 
like  cider,  wine  and  cocktails. 

Even  as  it  is,  the  saloon  compares  favorably  with  the  exclusive 
clubs,  both  in  tone  and  in  cleanliness.  The  latter,  almost  invariably, 
sinks  down  into  a  rut  where  games  are  the  only  entertainment,  and 
sport  the  only  topic  of  conversation.  In  a  club,  we  are  caught  as 
in  an  eddy  that  keeps  us  out  of  touch  with  humanity  at  large,  but 
the  saloon  is  democratic,  it  is  in  fact  the  only  place  left  where  men 
from  different  walks  of  life  can  meet  on  the  basis  of  equality. 

But  we  are  not  interested  in  defending  the  saloon  as  it  is. 
How  to  make  something  out  of  it  that  shall  make  it  fill  the  function 
of  a  court,  that  is  the  question. 

The  first  step  toward  that  end,  should  be,  that  the  saloon  busi- 
ness shall  be  conducted  by  the  county.  Of  all  industries  and  func- 
tions, the  preparation  and  serving  of  drinks  is  the  simplest,  and, 
at  the  same  time,  the  most  profitable.  If  a  county  wants  to  go 
into  any  kind  of  business,  the  liquor  business  is  the  business  where 
success  is  assured.  To  this  will  be  objected  that  this  scheme  has 
been  tried  and  proved  a  failure.  But  it  failed  because  it  was  con- 
ducted as  a  reform  measure,  calculated  to  make  men  more  sober. 
But  tliat  is  not  the  aim  and  object  of  a  saloon.  It  can  not  be,  and 
any  business  must  fail  if  it  tries  to  reform  instead  of  pleasing  its 
customers. 

By  the  way,  if  we  inquire  into  the  motives  of  many  reformers, 
it  seems  to  be  an  unconscious  effort  on  the  part  of  parasites  to  free 
themselves  from  the  killing  conviction  that  it  is  their  own  presence 
that  makes  indivduals  in  the  body  politic  grow  poor,  violent,  feverish 
and  thirsty,  and  give  to  the  symptom,  our  present  saloon,  the  blame. 

The  next  step  should  be  to  let  women  manage  the  whole  liquor 
traffic,  including  breweries  and  distilleries  for  their  own  benefit. 
This  is  Utopian,  although  nothing  new.  It  was  woman's  function 
from  time  immemorial  to  prepare  and  serve  the  drinks. 


60  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

The  strongest,  the  only  valid  argument  against  the  saloon,  is 
that  laboring  men  spend  their  money  in  the  saloon  instead  of  sup- 
porting their  families.  But  when  women  runs  the  saloon  for  their 
own  benefit,  they,  like  the  saloon-keepers,  would  soon  realize  that 
the  spendthrifts  were  their  best  friends. 

The  county,  through  the  women  getting  the  whole  benefit  of 
the  liquor  traffic,  would  create  a  fund  from  which  women  and 
children  could  be  provided  when  the  husband  and  father  had  be- 
come a  drunkard,  and  what  does  it  matter  if  families  get  their 
support  indirectly  through  the  saloons.  Spendthriftism  is  a  great 
force.  It  makes  men  work  hard  and  do  lots  of  things  they  otherwise 
would  not  do  in  order  to  get  money,  anticipating  the  pleasure  of 
spending  it  on  women  and  for  drinks. 

Private  or  intelligent  Utopias,  where  everything  is  free,  and 
where  consequently  the  pleasure  of  spending  money  cannot  be  in- 
dulged in,  can  only  appeal  to  a  few  and  these  few,  most  likely, 
would  visit  the  composite  Utopias  occasionally  to  get  that  pleasure. 

Sensible  woman  should  not  antagonize  this  force  but  use  it  for 
their  own  benefit  and  prevent  the  profit  from  going  to  private 
parties. 

The  first  change  in  regard  to  the  saloon,  we  should  expect 
from  woman  management  at  them  would  probably  be  a  change  of 
name  from  saloon  to  salon  as  more  fitting  to  its  new  character. 

Right  here  it  is  well  to  consider,  that  while  it  is  well  that  men 
and  women  shall  meet  on  equal  terms  in  all  places,  their  appetites 
and  functions  are  different.  Women  who  think  that  the  principle 
of  equality  between  men  and  women  cannot  be  established  and 
maintained  without  women  indulging  in  the  habits  or  vices  of  men, 
smoking,  drinking,  etc.,  or  by  men  adopting  womanly  ways  are 
surely  mistaken. 

Men  seem  to  have  a  natural  craving  for  stimulants,  which  the 
woman  has  not.  Perhaps  man  himself  acts  on  woman  as  a  stimu- 
lating influence,  doing  away  with  the  need  of  any  other. 

The  saloon,  under  the  new  name,  salon,  no  doubt  would  acquire 
some  of  the  characteristics  of  the  salons  once  presided  over  by  great 
and  brilliant  women  in  Paris  and  other  capitals.  These  salons 
exerted  an  influence  strong  enough  to  affect  the  fates  of  empires. 
Our  humble  beer  saloon,  by  the  way,  is  not  without  influence  in 
the  political  field,  and  it  rests  with  women  to  convert  the  saloon 
into  a  court,  wielding  its  power  for  weal  or  woe. 

Places  of  amusement,  foremost  among  these,  the  theatre,  are 
natural  adjuncts  to  a  court.  It  is  claimed  that  the  drama  is  the 
most  democratic  of   all  the  fine  arts,  and  many   features  of  the 


THE  CLOUDS  61 

theatre  can  be  sited  to  jutisfy  that  claim.  In  the  auditorium,  the 
crowd  is  seated  as  in  the  interior  of  a  vast  cranium,  watching  the 
asbestos  curtain.  It  rises  and  the  play  begins.  And  is  not  the  stage 
the  organ  of  a  social  or  collective  imagination?  And  the  crowd 
sits  in  judgment  over  the  play  and  players  which  is  distinctively 
democratic,  and  the  opposite  of  what  takes  place  when  society  is 
under  the  sway  of  an  autocracy  or  an  aristocracy  of  any  kind. 

An  audience,  representing  the  majority,  is,  as  a  rule,  hostile 
to  new  ideas.  The  theatre  is,  therefore,  a  conservative  influence 
upholding  old  and  eternal  ideals  as  in  tragedy  and  melodrama. 
But  in  its  highest  form,  pure  comedy,  the  theatre  is  not  only  a 
conservative,  but  decidedly,  a  destructive  influence-  Laughter  is 
killing,  but  let  us  not  on  that  account  deem  the  theatre  an  evil  in- 
fluence. While  it  occasionally  may  ridicule,  and  make  impossible 
for  the  time  being,  the  acceptance  of  a  new  idea  that  deserves  a 
better  fate,  its  power  to  kill  with  laughter  many  outgrown  faiths 
and  customs  and  many  fads  and  follies  that  are  taken  altogether 
too  seriously,  is  extremely  beneficient  and  shall  tend  to  keep  Utopias 
sane  and  sound. 

As  a  house  cleaning  is  occasionally  needed,  and  as  we  clear 
the  ground  in  spring  and  fall  and  burn  the  rubbish,  so  a  genius 
may  gather  the  rotten  limbs  from  the  tree  of  life,  and  in  the  form 
of  a  comedy  put  in  on  the  stage  where  it  shall  be  consumed  under 
a  bon-fire  of  laughter. 

As  it  is  possible  to  picture  on  the  stage  the  individual  and 
social  life  of  past  ages,  like  dances,  songs  and  religious  rites,  so  it 
should  be  possible  for  poets  and  seers  to  present  on  the  stage  their 
visions  of  the  future,  the  theatre  would  then  fill  a  prophetic  func- 
tion. The  movies  comes  to  our  mind  in  this  connection  and  it  is 
worth  noting  that  the  atmosphere  in  the  movie  play-houses  already 
is  distinctively  religious,  dark  and  silent  as  the  catacombs.  The 
managers  at  these  play-houses,  soon  perceived  that  the  trembling 
tones  of  a  church  organ  was  the  only  fit  accompaniment  to  the 
dream-pictures.  It  is  the  subconscious  or  purely  instinctive  life 
which  is  here  presented,  while  comedy  is  a  play  of  the  intellect, 
that  for  the  time  being  lifts  us  to  eleusium,  where  we  can  dwell  for 
a  moment  in  the  realm  of  laughter,  forgetful  of  all  our  troubles. 

In  rural  districts,  that  is,  in  counties  not  containing  any  great 
towns,  and  far  from  the  great  cities,  the  theatre  could  be  the  center 
of  attraction  and  of  the  greatest  importance.  Its  maintenance,  in 
most  instances,  is  no  objection  to  its  establishment.     When  crops 


62  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

were  good  and  the  industries  flourished  within  a  county,  even  Grand 
Opera,  a  'corps  de  ballet'  and  a  symphony  orchestra,  is  within 
its  means. 

An  ideal  commonwealth,  as  such,  must  offer  opportunities  for 
the  development  of  the  most  various  talent,  otherwise,  it  is  not  ideal. 
But  there  is  a  more  vital  reason  why  not  only  the  theatre  but  all 
arts  should  be  cultivated  by  Utopians.  They  who  live  to  please  must 
please  to  live,  and  if  the  artistic  element  is  not  taken  care  of,  its 
influence  shall  not  only  be  lost  to  us,  but  it  shall  be  added  to  the 
strength  of  opposing  forces. 

It  was  the  pretense,  and  not  only  the  pretense,  of  Kings  and 
nobles,  to  pose  as  the  protectors  of  those  who  applied  themselves 
to  the  fine  arts.  The  church,  too,  allied  itself  with  the  artists, 
and,  while  assisting  the  artists  to  some  extent,  these  individuals, 
factions,  and  institutions  themselves,  grew  rich  and  powerful. 

A  court  cultivating  the  sciences,  the  arts  and  philosophies,  by 
giving  aid  and  opportunities  to  those  interested  in  such  matters,  shall 
have  assumed  the  role  of  an  artistocracy,  and  by  so  doing,  made 
democracy  triumphant. 

NAMES  AND  TITLES 

Names  and  titles  in  connection  with  the  court,  shall  now  be 
considered.  As  social  beings  we  cannot  escape  titles.  The  most 
primitive  group  or  herd  must  have  at  least  one  title,  namely,  for 
that  of  the  leader.  If  he  be  called  the  king,  or  the  boss,  or  the  old 
man,  what  does  it  matter  ?  It  is  only  diff^erent  titles  for  those  who 
hold  the  same  position.  In  our  republic  we  necessarily  have 
several  titles:  President,  Governor,  Mayor,  Judge,  Senator,  Con- 
gressman, etc.  The  army  and  navy  have  their  titles.  Churches 
and  fraternities  likewise  have  titles.  Universities  confer  their  de- 
grees, and  sporting  circles  the  title  of  champion.  In  the  absence  of 
titles,  money  becomes  the  only  measurement  of  a  man's  worth. 

Genuine  titles  are  a  spur  to  our  ambition  and  as  such  a  good 
thing.  Only  titles  that  are  bought  or  inherited  are  an  evil,  an 
evil  because  they  are  counterfeit  Titles  based  on  achievement 
satisfy  a  craving  for  distinction  apart  from  birth  or  the  possession 
on  the  part  of  the  individual,  and  as  such  in  full  accord  with  the 
principles  of  the  republic 

The  declaration  that  we  are  born  equal,  was  not  directed 
against  titles  earned,  not  even  against  titles  inherited,  but  against 
special  privileges  on  account  of  birth.     For  there  can  be  no  ob- 


THE  CLOUDS  63 

jection  to  an  inherited  title,  unless  it  gives  an  unfair  advantage  to 
its  possessor,  an  advantage  he  may  be  ignoble  enough  to  take  ad- 
vantage of. 

The  republic  recognizes  no  titles  apart  from  the  offices  and 
functions  connected  with  it.  But  Utopians  are  free  to  bestow  their 
own  titles  in  their  own  ways,  like  churches  and  fraternities,  al- 
though their  titles  do  not  count  in  the  eyes  of  the  republic.  Before 
its  laws  we  are  all  equal. 

King  is  the  only  title  Utopians,  to  begin  with,  need  bestow 
upon  any  one,  as  the  King  would  have  the  power  to  bestow  other 
titles  within  his  realm,  to  those  who  had  earned  it  from  an  Utopian 
point  of  view.  But  the  powers  of  a  court  to  set  the  fashion  may 
bring  about  some  changes  both  in  naming  of  individuals  and  the 
titles  of  those  holding  the  offices  of  the  republic — titles  by  the 
way,  is  nothing  but  the  clothing  principle,  to  appear  to  better 
advantage,  extended. 

According  to  our  ideas,  women  should  retain  their  own  name, 
regardless  of  marriage,  and  let  us  further  suggest,  that  boys  be 
named  after  and  take  the  family  name  of  the  mother,  if  that  name 
be  retained,  and  the  girls  be  named  after  the  father.  This  accord- 
ing to  the  theory  that  the  sex  of  a  child  is  likely  to  be  opposite 
that  of  the  strongest  one  of  the  parents.  If  this  be  true,  it  is 
nothing  but  right  that,  when  people  multiply,  the  child  should  be 
named  after  the  one  who  proved  to  be  the  dominating  factor  at 
the  time  of  its  conception. 

Even  if  this  theory  is  not  true,  there  are  other  considerations 
that  favor  this  arrangement.  For  instance,  if  a  man's  name  could 
be  perpetuated  only  through  his  daughter,  it  would  tend  to  do  away 
with  the  ugly  sentiment  that  a  girl  baby  is  less  welcome  than  a 
boy. 

If  women  were  to  assume  the  priestly  function  of  officiating 
at  religious  ceremonies  and  take  the  leading  part  in  the  performance 
of  religious  rites,  the  title  of  vestal  or  its  equivalent  must  be 
bestowed  upon  that  class.  The  name  vestals  for  a  sisterhood  of 
that  kind  is  not  exactly  what  we  want  and  other  names  come 
to  our  mind  but  none  of  them  are  quite  satisfactory.  Angels  would 
be  all  right  in  times  of  peace  and  Valkyries  in  times  of  war,  neither 
of  them  permanently.  Sister  is  as  good  a  name  as  any,  and  a 
sisterhood  of  the  republic  is  what  we  want.  But  that  name  today 
would  convey  the  idea  that  those  sisters  were  to  be  something 
similar  to  Christian  nuns  and  that  is  not  our  idea.  The  sisterhood 
we  have  in  view,  shall  partake  more  of  the  character  of  the  suf- 
fragettes, and  at  times  be  acting  as  furies. 


64  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

Fairies  as  a  name  appeals  to  me,  but  to  many  that  name  would 
sound  liippant,  so  we  shall  use  the  more  dignified  name,  vestals,  until 
something  better  turns  up.  And  if  a  woman  was  given  the  execu- 
tive branch  of  the  government,  the  following  changes  recommend 
themselves :  Instead  of  the  President,  the  Grandmother  of  the  Re- 
public. Ex-President,  Great  grandmother.  Instead  of  Governor  of 
a  State,  just  Mother.  Mother  of  Indiana,  for  example;  Governess 
w^ould  be  misleading. 

The  leading  lady  of  a  county  we  shall  name  the  matron. 
Matron  does  not  appeal  to  us  like  the  name  mother,  but  it  has  this 
advantage,  that  it  is  already  used  in  connection  with  many  of 
the  institutions  of  a  county. 

To  the  real  mother,  known  to  their  children  as  "ma"  or 
"mama,"  we  shall  give  the  title  "Queen  of  the  Bungalow."  As  to 
the  boys  and  girls,  prince  and  princess  is  the  only  proper  title  for 
the  sons  and  for  the  daughters  of  a  sovereign  people.  Example : 
If  a  boy's  name  was  George  and  his  mother's  family  name  Jefferson 
and  his  home  was  in  Lincoln  County,  Illinois,  his  full  name  and 
title  would  be  Prince  George  Jefferson,  of  Lincoln,  111.,  the  county 
being  considered  the  principality. 

REMARKS 

The  appearance  of  a  real  king  under  modern  conditions  could 
not  help  but  be  highly  stimulating,  and  therefore,  a  beneficient  in- 
fluence, although  a  constant  danger  to  privileged  classes  and  a 
menace  to  vested  rights.  And  in  this  connection,  it  is  w^orth  re- 
membering that  the  crafty  Spartans  killed  every  one  of  the  lower 
classes  in  whom  they  detected  the  qualities  of  leadership.  Among 
laboring  classes  today  the  danger  of  a  character  of  this  kind  is 
rather  that  he  shall  be  killed  or  made  useless  by  his  own  class, 
so  trained  are  we  in  obedience,  and  in  the  habit  of  being  bossed 
and  driven. 

The  court,  as  a  rival  of  the  church,  should  also  be  a  stimu- 
lating influence,  although  there  need  not  be  any  real  antagonism 
betw-een  these  two  institutions,  their  aim  in  reality  being  the  same, 
the  cultivation  of  man.  It  is  merely  a  matter  of  methods.  The 
church  is  aiming  at  the  spiritual,  the  purity  of  the  heart,  the  salva- 
tion of  the  soul,  etc.,  while  the  court  shall  emphasize  the  im- 
portance of  the  physical,  the  appearance,  the  form,  and  insist  on 
good  manners  and  the  observance  of  polite  usages.  And  any  good 
book  on  etiquette  is  a  better  text  book  for  moral  training  than  the 
Bible  or  any  book  derived  from  it. 

As  w^e  have  common  people,  so  shall  we  have  common  counties. 


THE  CLOUDS  65 

Others  shall  distinguish  themselves  in  certain  branches  of  industry. 
Others  again  shall  be  noted  for  their  artistic  temperament  or  their 
philosophical  or  scientific  turn  of  mind,  the  common  counties 
being  more  or  less  mixed. 

Now  some  of  the  children  born  in  a  certain  county  might  not 
have  any  natural  inclination  to  follovi^  the  occupation  or  to  cultivate 
the  arts  v^herein  that  county  is  proficient.  Such  then  could  be 
transferred  to,  or  be  exchanged  for  children  of  other  counties, 
and  all  receive  the  training  their  special  talent  required.  Probably, 
as  a  rule,  the  young  men  would  seek  their  fortune  in  other  counties 
than  their  own,  and  the  sons  of  a  county  that  succeeded  in  raising 
the  finest  specimens  of  manhood  would  have  the  advantage  over 
the  less  fortunate.  The  principles  of  the  various  counties  would  in 
this  way  be  tried,  and  the  best  prevail. 

The  character  of  a  county  shall  to  a  great  extent  be  determined 
by  the  sex  in  majority.  If  the  number  of  men  were  greatly  in 
excess  of  women,  we  would  have  a  male  county,  and,  let  us  suggest 
that  sometime  it  might  be  a  good  policy  to  choose  a  queen  to  fill 
the  position  of  a  king  in  such  a  county.  If  women  were  the  most 
numerous,  we  would  designate  it  a  female  county,  and  here,  too,  it 
might  prove  the  best  way,  sometimes  to  have  a  man  for  leader, 
although  the  female  element  predominated. 

According  to  sex,  we  could  classify  Utopias  as  masculine, 
feminine  and  hermaphroditic,  the  latter,  and  perhaps  most  common, 
consisting  of  those  where  the  male  and  female  element  were  about 
evenly  represented. 

For  counties  of  a  unisexual  type,  exogamy  should  be  the  proper 
form  of  marriage.  That  is,  members  of  such  counties  would  meet 
for  a  season  on  neutral  ground  every  year  for  the  purpose  of  mating 
and  marrying.  After  the  season  was  over,  the  participants  would 
return  to  their  respective  homes,  and  of  the  children  resulting 
from  such  a  marriage,  the  girls  of  course  would  remain  with  their 
mothers  to  be  reared  in  the  female  counties,  and  the  boys,  after 
being  taught  to  walk  and  to  some  extent  to  take  care  of  themselves, 
would  go  to  the  home  or  the  county  of  their  fathers  for  further 
instructions. 

What  benefits  the  community  at  large  shall  derive  from  the 
establishment  of  courts,  cannot  be  realized  until  they  are  in  full 
operation.  But  if  a  county  where  something  like  a  court  existed, 
became  more  alive  and  prosperous  than  the  counties  where  they 
had  nothing  of  the  sort,  and  it  is  not  unreasonable  to  suppose 
that  it  would,  this  feature  of  our  social  life  would  be  generally 
adapted,  though  modified  to   fit  the  local  conditions.     When  dif- 


66  THE. UTOPIAN  WAY 

ferent  Utopian  ideas  are  formulated  and  obtainable,  the  most  suit- 
able plan  could  be  selected. 

The  principles  of  an  Utopia  based  on  a  new,  novel  or  original 
idea,  could  with  the  least  risk  be  tried  out  in  new  or  abandoned 
territory.  With  a  sufficient  number  of  members,  all  the  inventions 
of  civilization  could  be  utilized,  and  what  a  group  of  determined 
men  can  do  though  separated  from  the  great  centers  of  population, 
was  demonstrated  by  the  Mormons  when  they  built  a  beautiful 
and  prosperous  city  in  the  midst  of  a  desert. 

Most  Utopian  attempts  must  to  begin  with,  fail.  But  to  see 
an  ideal  commonwealth,  be  it  only  one,  gradually  created  and  the 
dreams  of  prophets  and  seers  at  last  realized  before  our  eyes, 
would  be  a  spectacle  more  thrilling  than  any  play  ever  presented 
on  any  stage  either  here  or  abroad. 

Incidentally  our  interest  and  attention  would  be  taken  away 
from  crimes,  wars  and  religious  strifes,  and  our  souls  saved  from 
the  hatred  engendered,  kept  alive  or  cultivated  by  such  activities. 

MOVEMENTS 

Humble  are  all  beginnings,  but  a  game  is  best  when  it  is  young. 
And  a  movement  in  the  state  of  formation,  can  be  most  easily 
bent  to  our  will  and  our  ways.     Moral :   Come  early. 

All  movements  are  good.  "Perfect  peace  is  death."  Already 
Pascal  knew  that.  Even  the  crazy  movement  of  the  crusaders  to 
gain  possession  of  an  empty  grave  was  good.  Peter  the  Hermit 
did  well.  The  crusades  gave  opportunities  for  adventure  and 
opened  up  new  ways  to  glory.  Knighthood  came  into  flower  and 
the  fame  achieved  by  the  foremost  of  the  crusaders  has  shed  a 
lustre  on  their  names  and  been  a  benefit  to  their  descendants 
for  a  thousand  years. 

There  are  upgoing  and  downgoing  movements  in  nature,  in 
social  life,  and  in  the  affairs  of  individuals. 

All  living  creatures  are  subject  to  this  ebb  and  flow  of  their 
forces.  The  salmon  swimming  in  the  deep  sea,  when  the  creative 
forces  grow  strong  within  him,  seeks  the  shore  and  the  mouth 
of  the  swift-flowing  rivers.  Now  begins  his  upward  flight;  and 
he  grows  game  in  that  movement.  Scaling  rapid  after  rapid  with 
reckless,  daring  leaps,  he  gains  entrance  into  ever  narrower  water- 
ways, ever  swifter  currents,  way  into  the  cool,  clear,  icy  rivulets 
'neath  the  snow-capped  mountains. 

At  last  his  forces  are  spent  and  a  change  comes  over  him. 
He  is  seized  by  a  longing  for  the  sea.  He  turns  and  like  Tolstoy 
after  his  conversion,  he  finds  that  what  was  the  right  side  is  the 


THE  CLOUDS  67 

left  side.  Now,  as  he  passes  the  places  where  he  made  his  most 
glorious  stunts,  he  shall  assume  an  air  of  superior  wisdom  and 
sadly  shake  his  head. 

It  is  so  easy  to  go  down.  It  goes  of  itself  or  as  if  we  were 
led  by  the  spirit.  Everything  seems  so  clear  now  in  October,  the 
water  and  the  sky.  More  beautiful,  too,  in  a  way.  On  the  banks 
of  the  river  trees  are  standing,  isolated  or  in  clusters,  clothed  in 
all  the  deceptive  colors  of  decay.  Overhead,  birds,  that  in  the 
springtime  struggled  and  fought,  are  peacefully  flocked  together, 
and  we  hear  the  beautiful  song  of  brotherhood,  the  swan  song 
of  the  spirit — and  down  the  salmons  go,  down  to  the  Pacific  ocean. 

There  are  exceptions.  A  wise  salmon  by  sheer  luck  or  accident, 
may  gain  entrance  into  the  great  stillness  of  a  mountain  lake  and 
there  at  leisure  explore  the  shores  of  the  unknown.  Some  day 
perhaps,  he  shall  look  up  into  the  wooly  face  of  an  innocent 
lamb — a  lamb  coming  down  to  drink,  and  imagine :  Up  there  is 
heaven,  there's  where  the  angels  dwell.  But  if  his  vision  had  a 
longer  and  wider  range,  he  would  see  on  yonder  mountain  peak 
an  eagle  casting  loving  glances  in  the  direction  of  that  lamb,  as 
much  as  to  say :  "I  shall  eat  it  some  day,"  or  he  would  perceive 
in  the  shrubbery  the  slinking  form  of  a  hungry  wolf,  thirsting  for 
the  blood  of  that  lamb.  The  salmon  himself  is  surrounded  by 
dangers,  and  if  he  tarried  too  long,  ice  shall  clog  up  the  outlet 
to  the  sea  and  make  him  a  prisoner  in  the  great  stillness.  Some 
cold  wintry  night,  while  he  is  gazing  at  the  dark  sky  above,  ice  shall 
steal  like  arrows  over  the  surface  of  the  water,  extinguishing  the 
stars  one  by  one,  and  at  last  cover  the  lake  completely.  Snow  shall 
fall  thereon  and  leave  him  in  utter  darkness. 

But  though  the  upward  flight  may  lead  to  nothing  or  worse 
than  nothing,  neither  is  there  any  salvation  in  the  deep.  Many 
monsters  are  there  at  home,  imaginary  and  real  monsters.  To  men- 
tion only  a  few :     The  sea  serpent,  the  octopus,  the  shark. 

Movement  is  our  salvation.  For  there  is  a  joy  in  chasing 
and  a  joy  in  running  away  and  rest  in  movement,  provided  it  is 
our  movement.  Rest  implies  that  we  have  exerted  ourselves,  it 
should  also  imply  that  we  are  accumulating  strength  for  a  new 
movement,  not  that  we  are  now  at  rest  or  dead  forever. 

When  we  temporarily  cease  from  movement,  we  get  time 
to  think,  and  it  is  good  to  take  time  to  think,  especially  to  have 
some  forethought  before  we  start  a  movement  of  any  kind.  But 
most  of  our  thoughts  are  really  an  afterthought.  And  this  is  our 
danger,  that  we  shall  be  dominated  by  the  thought  of  the  down- 
going  and  the  mood  of  the  downgoing.     Already  at  the  outset, 


68  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

children  are  in  the  Christian  baptism  by  proxy,  made  to  renounce 
the  devil,  the  world  and  the  flesh.  But  in  condemning  these,  we 
also  condemn  the  creator  of  the  devil,  the  world  and  the  flesh,  and 
create  a  prejudice  against  Hfe  and  the  God  of  Hfe. 

"I  don't  care  for  the  circus,  why  then  should  there  be  any 
circus?"  This  expresses  the  sentiments  of  most  of  the  downgoing 
and  reveals  their  boundless  egotism :    Let  the  world  die  with  me. 

Better  it  would  be  if  we  like  the  angels  the  shepherd  boy  saw 
in  his  dream,  went  up  and  down  on  the  stepladder  set  from  earth 
to  heaven  serenely.  And  we  have  many  examples  of  men  who 
weuL  down  serenely,  satisfied  with  days,  praising  life,  and  thankful 
that  they  had  lived.  These  are  an  inspiration  to  the  upgoing,  and 
shall  carry  them  to  greater  heights. 

Lest  we  be  deceived,  let  us  always  bear  in  mind  that  the 
world  is  forever  yotmg. 

This  is  the  morning  of  time. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  PROPHECY 


In  order  to  effect  a  social  readjustment,  we  must  lay  our 
hands,  so  to  speak,  on  the  forces  of  superstition  or  the  religious 
force,  if  you  prefer,  and  master  it.  It  has  been  known,  this  force, 
from  time  immemorial.  More  often  it  has  been  used  to  keep  people 
in  bondage  through  fear.  It  is  used  for  that  purpose  today.  On 
the  other  hand,  it  has  often  proved  to  be  the  only  power  strong 
enough  to  help  men  break  throvigh  the  barriers  of  established 
customs. 

We  realize  it  is  a  dangerous  force  to  "monkey"  with,  and, 
in  trying  to  give  it  a  direction  favorable  to  our  purposes,  it  may 
recoil  upon  ourselves.  But  so  is  electricity  a  dangerous  force,  and 
many  have  lost  their  lives  experimenting  with  it.  However,  because 
of  these  experiments,  many  of  the  ways  and  properties  of  electricity 
are  known  to  us.  It  is  under  intelligent  control,  and  it  can  be 
utilized. 

The  phase  of  the  religious  force  we  shall  emphasize  and 
endeavor  to  use,  is  the  spirit  of  prophecy.  And  this  is  our  attitude 
toward  the  spirit  of  prophecy :  When  something  good  is  prophesied, 
like  a  jubilee  or  a  millennium,  then  it  is  our  plain  duty  and  our 
delight  to  work  for  the  fulfillment  of  such  prophecies,  and  when 
opportunities  presents  themselves,  we  shall  make  the  events  come  to 
pass  without  waiting  for  the  aid  of  any  outside  agency.  Thereby, 
the  faith  of  those  who  have  any  shall  be  strengthened,  and  if  we 
have  none,  we  shall  still  have  our  share  in  the  benefits  derived 


THE  CLOUDS  S9 

therefrom.  On  the  other  hand,  if  something  evil  is  prophesied, 
we  shall  either  take  it  for  granted  that  the  prophets  phophesied 
under  a  misunderstanding,  that  they  were  angry,  or  that  God  had 
put  into  them  a  lying  spirit.  We  have  a  right  to  assume  this  latter, 
as  we  read  in  the  Bible  that  God  put  into  the  mouths  of  the 
prophets  a  lying  spirit  once,  probably  more  than  once.  Thirdly, 
and  this  is  the  most  proper  attitude — to  take  heed  of  the  prophe- 
sies of  evil,  and  change  our  conduct  so  as  to  prevent  the  event 
from  coming  to  pass.  The  story  of  the  prophet,  Jonah,  shows  that 
it  can  be  done,  "And  God  saw  their  work,  that  they  turned  from 
their  evil  way,  and  God  repented  of  the  evil  that  He  had  said  He 
would  do  unto  them,  and  He  did  it  not." 

The  spirit  of  prophecy  gave  to  the  Jews  a  future.  Their  past 
was  nothing  to  brag  about,  and  it  will  be  observed  that  the  theory 
of  evolution  places  humanity  at  large  in  the  same  position. 

Polytheism,  being  a  sort  of  ancestor  worship,  glorified  the  past. 
This  attitude  tended  to  bring  about  stagnation,  in  fact,  stagnation 
was  the  social  ideal  of  all  ancient  Utopians.  Confucius,  Lycurgus, 
Solon,  Moses  and  others,  bent  all  their  energies  toward  the  establish- 
ment of  commonwealths  regulated  by  unchangeable  laws.  In  the 
new  testament  we  also  discern  an  attempt  to  close  the  future  and 
eternally  stand  pat.  The  outcome  of  that  document,  the  Catholic 
church,  is  an  extreme  standpatter,  and  her  children,  the  Protestant 
churches  take  after  their  mother  in  that  respect. 

So  long  as  a  prophecy  remains  unfulfilled,  there  is  life  and 
hope,  but  with  the  fulfillment  of  a  prophecy,  the  religion  or  move- 
ment that  has  its  origin  and  life  in  that  prophecy  comes  to  an 
end.  The  Jews  became  a  sterilized,  a  fixed  type,  with  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  hoped  for  Messiah.  So  the  Christian  religion  and 
movement  must  stagnate  or  come  to  an  end  with  the  second  coming 
of  Christ. 

While  the  fulfillment  of  prophecies  to  begin  with,  must  be  our 
main  concern  in  regard  to  religion,  it  is  important,  in  order  to 
maintain  our  expectant  look  toward  the  future,  that  new  prophesies, 
calculated  to  kindle  some  hopes  in  the  hearts  of  men,  shall  be 
made.  And  if  we,  like  the  national  fortune  tellers  of  Israel, 
prophecy  much,  some  of  it  is  bound  to  come  true,  and  if  we  are 
so  disposed,  but  very  little  is  needed  to  confirm  our  faith  in  a 
glorious  future. 

Although  the  ancient  nations  glorified  the  past  and  were  not 
progressive,  in  the  sense  we  understand  progress,  the  spirit  of 
prophecy  was  not  absent  among  them.  It  was  even  a  religious 
duty  to  consult  the  oracles  before  undertaking  an  enterprise  of  any 


7a  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

magnitude.  So  we  see  Lycurgus,  a  man  singularly  free  from 
superstitions,  found  it  necessary,  in  order  to  strengthen  his  authority, 
to  consult  the  oracle  at  Delphi. 

Skeptics,  there  are  always  skeptics,  hinted  that  by  bribery 
you  could  get  any  answer  you  wanted  from  the  oracles.  Undoubtly 
the  oracles  wanted  to  please.  And  if  we  consult  fortune  tellers 
and  mediums  in  our  days,  we  shall  be  surprised  at  their  ability 
to  divine  our  secret  wishes. 

Silent  is  now  the  oracle  at  Delphi,  but  in  the  Bible  we  have 
an  oracle  that  answers  our  purpose  as  well.  The  answers  of  the 
oracles  were  ambiguous.  Everybody  could  read  what  meaning 
he  pleased  into  them.  Similiarly  everybody  can  read  what  mean- 
ing he  pleases  into  the  Bible.  This  has  been  done,  and  is  done  with 
great  success  by  religious  bodies,  and  we  shall  avail  ourselves  of 
the  same  liberty  and  in  this  feel  assured  that  we  are  just  as  in- 
falliable  as  any  other,  be  it  an  individual  or  an  institution. 

The  unfulfilled  prophecy,  the  second  coming  of  Christ,  shall 
form  our  connection  with  the  older  religious  systems.  Grafting 
our  ideas  in  Judaism  shall  put  us  in  touch  with  the  spiritual  force 
of  that  movement  and  bring  continuity  in  the  religious  develop- 
ment. It  is  in  fact,  the  only  religious  force  available  for  our  pur- 
poses, for  we  take  it  that  Judaism  is  the  root  and  Christianity 
and  Islam  are  branches  on  the  same  tree,  and  that  their  sap  shall  be 
absorbed  by  the  Utopians. 

The  second  coming  of  Christ  is  closely  connected,  in  fact, 
identical  with  the  establishment  of  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  on 
earth.  It  is  Utopian.  So,  we  perhaps,  shall  sometimes  say  of  the 
Christians,  that,  although  they,  from  the  beginning,  failed  to  estab- 
lish that  Kingdom,  they  nevertheless  rendered  humanity  a  great 
service  by  preserving  the  gospel  containing  that  thought.  It  will  be  re- 
membered that  the  church  or  rather  the  monasteries  have  rendered  a 
similar  service  already,  by  preserving  the  writings  of  Greek  and  Ro- 
man philosophers,  a  service  that  made  possible  the  renaissance  move- 
ment, which  resulted  in  our  present  civilization.  But  as  the  re- 
naissance did  not  bring  about  anything  like  the  Greek  or  Roman 
civilization,  neither  need  we  expect  or  fear,  that  by  awakening  an 
interest  in  the  idea  of  a  Kingdom  of  Heaven  on  earth,  we  shall 
realize  anything  like  that  idea  as  set  forth  in  the  gospels. 

While  the  prophets  of  Israel  gave  to  that  people  a  future,  they 
at  the  same  time,  inculcated  in  the  minds  of  the  members  of  that 
race  a  fixed  idea  of  the  coming  Messiah,  which  prevented  the  Jews 
from  taking  advantage  of  the  opportunities  the  appearance  of  the 
Nazarene  offered.    So  also,  the  more  or  less  fixed  idea  in  the  minds 


THE  CLOUDS  71 

of  Christians  in  regard  to  Christ  and  his  Kingdom,  shall  most  likely 
prevent  them  from  accepting  him  if  he  appeared  in  any  other 
way  than  they  expect.  How  many  do  expect  him  anyway?  He 
tarries  so  long,  that  if  an  event  approaches  with  almost  inper- 
ceptible  speed,  this  saying  is  heard  among  the  nations:  "It  is  as 
slow  as  the  second  coming  of  Christ."  If  he  does  come  at  all,  it 
shall  be  as  a  thief  in  the  night — unexpected. 

According  to  the  gospel,  He  disapeared  in  the  clouds  and 
shall  come  back  in  the  same  way.  But  the  great  majority  of  man- 
kind do  not  believe  this.  To  them  His  disappearance  in  the  clouds 
means  only  a  disappearance  under  doubtful  or  suspicious  circum- 
stances, and  His  second  coming  no  doubt,  shall,  by  the  same  ma- 
jority, be  regarded  in  the  same  way. 

He  Himself  said :  "Lo,  I  am  with  you  always  until  the  end  of 
the  world."  Now,  since  he  is  with  us  always.  His  second  coming 
can  only  mean  this,  that  we  shall  become  conscious  of  His 
presence. 

Christ  always  with  us  and  always  unknown  to  us  is  a  highly 
poetic  idea,  and  therefore,  for  our  purposes  of  great  value.  It  is 
an  idea  pervading  fairy  tales,  myths  and  most  religions,  this,  that 
gods  walk  the  earth  unknown  to  men,  and  that  we  at  times  enter- 
tain angels  unawares. 

If  Christ's  second  coming  shall  be  as  His  first,  when,  accord- 
ing to  the  gospel  of  John,  the  Word  became  flesh  and  dwelled 
among  us,  a  moment's  thought  shall  convince  us  that  under  modern 
conditions  His  life  would  become  unbearable  except  His  presence 
in  the  flesh  remained  unknown. 

And  only  as  a  fraud  could  Christ  be  accepted  today.  If  He 
Himself  and  His  whereabouts  could  be  determined,  this  fact  would 
be  wired  over  the  world  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  and  the  con- 
sequence would  be,  that  He  would  be  flooded  with  letters  and 
continually  be  called  by  long  and  short  distance  telephones.  All 
who  imagine  that  they  love  Jesus,  would  wish  to  see  Him,  and  a 
great  many  more  would  come  to  Him  merely  out  of  idle  curiosity. 
If  He,  in  self-defense,  should  forbid  them  to  come  under  penalty 
of  damnation  that  would  not  save  Him.  What  does  this  age 
and  generation  care  for  damnation  ?  Why,  many  seekers  for  truth 
would  cheerfully  commit  the  unpardonable  sin  against  the  Holy 
Ghost,  if  they  know  what  it  was,  as  an  experiment. 

This  is  the  greatness  of  our  age  and  generation,  this  is.  It 
is  the  greatness  of  any  age  that  it  produces  men  who  have  the 
courage,  or  be  it  only  the  foolhardiness,  to  take  great  chances.  If 
we  have  nothing  else  to  risk,  let  us  gamble  with  our  souls. 


72  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

OUR  TEMPLE 

If  we  are  told  to  discard  a  given  faith  and  its  forms,  it  is 
proper  to  ask:    "What  shall  we  put  in  its  place?" 

It  is  a  legitimate  question. 

We  shall,  therefore,  give  the  outlines  of  forms  suitable  for 
the  reception  of  a  new  faith  in  harmony  with  our  present  knowledge, 
forms  into  which  a  new  spirit  is  left  free  to  enter. 

In  creating  the  forms,  first,  it  will  be  observed,  that  we  pro- 
ceed intelligently  like  a  machinist  who  first  makes  the  electric  motor 
and  then  turns  on  the  current.  It  is  indeed  nature's  way,  first  to 
create  the  form  and  then  endow  it  with  a  consciousness  suitable 
to  that  form.  So  Jehovah,  true  to  the  genius  that  created  him, 
proceeded  man-fashion,  and  formed  an  image  of  a  man  out  of  clay 
or   dust   and   into   that    form   breathed   the   spirit   of   life. 

Life  and  the  forms  manifesting  life  are  coexistent,  and  it 
is  idle  to  speculate  on  which  came  first;  more  so,  since  both  life 
and  its  forms  more  than  likely  have  neither  a  beginning  nor  an 
end,  but  are  eternal.  But  when  we  realize  that  the  character  of  the 
spirit  of  life  is  identical  with  the  form  in  which  it  appears,  we 
shall  be  impressed  with  the  importance  of  forms. 

Forms  we  can  lay  our  hands  on  and  alter,  even  living  forms, 
but  the  spirit  that  animates  them  is  intangible. 

Social  forms  we  can  create  under  favorable  conditions  if  we 
have  the  spirit,  and  so  long  as  we  have  the  form,  the  spirit  may 
enter  at  any  moment,  though  it  for  a  long  time  apparently  had 
passed  away.  It  is  dormant  in  the  form.  For  instance,  so  long  as 
we  keep  the  democratic  form  of  government,  the  republic  is,  com- 
paratively speaking,  safe.  For  though  the  spirit  of  democracy  be 
absent,  or  practically  speaking,  dead,  it  is  liable  to  revive  any 
moment.  But  when  the  form  is  lost,  nothing  short  of  a  revolution 
shall  again  bring  it  about. 

And  so  with  the  religious  forms.  So  long  as  a  cult  can  retain 
its  form  of  worship,  its  observance  rites  and  ritual,  it  is  safe. 
If  its  spirit  has  been  cowed,  it  can  simply  bide  its  time  and  awaken 
to  show  its  true  character  when  the  spirit  that  opposed  it  has  lost 
its  force.  That  is  provided  that  this  opposing  spirit  fails  to  create 
its  own  forms  of  observances,  rites  and  rituals  and  build  monu- 
mental and  enduring  temples  to  protect  these  forms. 

If  we  pour  new  wine  into  old  bottles,  it  shall  break  the  old 
bottles,  and  the  new  wine  shall  be  spilled.  But  neither  can  we 
save  the  new  wine  from  being  spilled,  unless  we -have  new  bottles 
wherein  to  keep  it. 


THE  CLOUDS  7S 

Before  we  go  further,  we  shall  again  remind  ourself,  that 
according  to  the  laws  of  the  republic,  we  have  religious  freedom 
and  that  this  implies  that  religion  is  separated  from  its  affairs. 

Utopians  are  not  opposed  to  that  principle,  and  in  no  ways 
dependent  on  a  change  in  our  laws  in  regard  to  this  matter.  In  a 
composite  Utopia,  for  example,  a  private  or  intelligent  Utopia  nearby 
or  within  the  borders  of  a  county,  could  render  the  Utopian  religious 
services  required. 

A  separation  of  the  affairs  of  the  republic  from  the  affairs  of 
the  religion,  however,  is  almost  impossible  to  maintain  in  practice. 
So  we  see  public  functions  opened  with  prayers,  and  we  have 
army  chaplains,  presumably,  Christians.  More  menacing  still,  is  the 
attempts  of  Protestants  to  have  Bible  reading  introduced  into  the 
public  schools,  while  the  Catholic  parochial  schools  are  a  bold  en- 
croachment on  the  republic's  domain ;  the  education  of  its  chil- 
dren in  the  sciences  and  its  principles.  As  suggested  before,  these 
religious  bodies  need  a  rival  to  hold  them  in  check.  So  if  the 
introduction  of  something  similar  to  a  state  religion  ever  should  be- 
come a  vital  question,  Utopians  are  in  the  field  with  their  programs. 
The  mere  idea  of  such  a  possibility  shall  tend  to  curb  these  ten- 
dencies to  force  obsolete  religious  systems  on  an  unwilling  public. 

We  shall,  therefore,  in  describing  our  temple,  and  giving  some 
suggestion  in  regard  to  observances,  rites  and  an  Utopian  ritual 
of  baptism,  assume  for  the  sake  of  illustration,  that  it  is  given  for 
a  composite  Utopia  having  adopted  our  religious  views  and  ways, 
while  in  practice,  a  private  Utopia  would  fill  that  function. 

After  this  digression,  we  shall  go  back  to  the  temple,  or  Heaven 
as  we  shall  prefer  to  call  it.  Though  Heaven  occasionally  shall 
be  used  to  give  dignity  to  our  Utopian  rites  and  rituals,  it  is  primarily 
a  house  of  prayer,  a  means  of  grace  that  shall  help  us  to  worship 
God  in  spirit  and  in  truth.  It  is  a  symbol  of  the  spiritual  or  inner 
world  as  the  opposite  to  the  physical  or  outer  world  represented  by 
the  court.  The  dependence  of  one  upon  the  other  of  these  two 
worlds  is  obvious.  Without  the  inner,  the  outer  world  would  be 
without  a  foundation,  and  without  the  outer,  the  inner  world  would 
be  void.  And  this  is  the  greatness  and  the  significance  of  man,  that 
he  is  the  door  that  connects  these  two  worlds,  and  that  he  is  able 
to  become  conscious  of  both.  Therefore,  in  creating  a  temple,  as 
a  visible  sign  of  the  spiritual  world,  and  a  court  as  the  highest 
manifestation  of  the  outer  world,  we  shall  impress  upon  our  mind, 
man's  greatness  and  significance,  and  facilitate  his  growth  in 
greatness. 


74  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

Our  temple,  besides  being  a  house  of  prayer  and  a  proper  place 
for  the  performance  of  rites  and  rituals,  should  in  its  form  sym- 
bolize our  idea  of  God. 

That  form  is  Heaven. 

Heaven  as  a  symbol  of  Deity  cannot  be  surpassed.  Calm, 
beneficient,  impartial,  it  embraces  all  creatures.  Under  its  vaults 
is  freedom,  freedom  for  all.  Jesus  in  His  good  moments  had 
glimpses  of  that  Heaven,  as  when  He  said:  "He  maketh  His  sun 
to  rise  on  the  evil  and  the  good,  and  sendeth  rain  on  the  just  and 
unjust,"  and  when  He  lets  the  prodigal  son  on  his  return  say : 
"Father,  I  have  sinned  against  Heaven  and  against  thee." 

The  Kingdom  of  Heaven  and  the  Kingdom  of  God  means 
the  same  thing  in  the  gospels.  Solomon's  prayer  at  the  dedication 
of  his  temple  contains  the  same  idea. 

Among  the  Chinese,  it  will  be  remembered,  the  idea  of  a  per- 
sonal God  is  absent,  and  they  translate  God  into  Heaven.  And  it 
is  worth  noting  that  China  is  the  only  nation  that  has  been  able 
to  assimulate  the  Jews.  Jehovah,  their  tribal  God,  dissolved  under 
their  Heaven  which  seems  to  indicate  that  Heaven  is  a  more 
perfect  image  of  God  than  man. 

Having  decided  on  Heaven  as  our  symbol  of  God,  and  that  our 
temple  shall  express  that  idea,  it  follows  tliat  the  main  feature  of 
these  structures  must  be  an  image  of  Heaven,  and  the  nearest  we 
can  come  to  that  form  is  a  perfect  hemisphere  or  dome.  This 
feature  shall  be  common  to  all  our  temples,  and  shall  give  to  our 
architecture  a  special  stamp  calculated  to  distinguish  Utopian  cul- 
tures from  others,  like  pyramids,  temples  and  churches  gave  and 
give  to  other  civilizations  a  special  character. 

The  hemisphere,  however,  does  not  exclude  great  variations  in 
style,  both  in  the  interior  and  the  exterior  of  the  temples. 

They  shall  also  admit  of  differences  in  the  religious  atmosphere, 
as  the  atmosphere  in  the  homes  within  the  same  block  in  a  city 
may  be  distinctively  different.  To  comprehend  this,  we  shall  im- 
agine a  firmament  spread  out  high  above  the  gilded  domes  of  the 
poorhouses  and  covering  the  entire  county,  and,  though  invisible, 
like  clear  bubbles  resting  on  the  surface  of  still  waters,  yet  strong 
enough  to  resist  outside  influences  to  a  degree  that  it  shall  be  pos- 
sible for  a  given  county  to  develop  and  keep  its  own  characteristics. 

The  temples  may  be  erected  separately,  but  also,  and  preferably, 
forming  the  upper  store  or  dome  of  one  of  the  most  prominent 
county  buildings,  the  courthouse  or  the  county  treasury  for  in- 
stance.   The  temples  and  treasuries  were  united  in  former  days — or 


THE  CLOUDS  75 

in  a  private  Utopia  the  temple  may  be  the  upper  part  of  the  main 
dwelling. 

The  inside  of  this  dome  or  hemisphere  should  be  covered  with 
the  material  most  suitable  for  the  reflection  of  slides  and  motion 
pictures. 

In  the  center  an  altar  or  some  object  symbolizing  the  local  or 
special  spiritual  aspiration  of  the  community  should  be  placed.  Or 
several  objects  of  that  kind  to  be  used  at  different  occasions  may  be 
kept.  Within  or  beneath  this  altar  there  should  be  a  room  for  an 
operator  to  manipulate  the  slides  and  films,  and  from  the  center 
throw  the  pictures  on  the  inner  surface  of  this  hemisphere.  The 
inner  circle  of  the  floor  should  be  slightly  elevated  like  the  inner 
part  of  a  roulette  table,  and  the  outer  circle  inclining  inward,  giv- 
ing it  the  appearance  of  an  amphitheatre  or  circus.  No  doors,  but 
openings  at  all  sides  leading  out  to  a  corridor  or  gallery  surrounding 
the  temple  dome.  The  number  of  doors  must  vary  with  the  size 
of  the  temple  or  Heaven,  as  we  prefer  to  call  it,  but  there  ought  to 
be  four  principal  entrances  located  at  the  North,  South,  East  and 
West  sides.  This  location  of  the  entrances  according  to  the  com- 
pass, is  independent  of  the  position  of  the  building  of  which  the 
temple  may  form  a  part,  since  it  is  separated  from  it  by  the  corridor 
that  surrounds  it. 

Inside  the  entrance  and  a  little  away  from  them,  some  objects, 
corresponding  to  the  central  piece,  should  be  placed,  so  the  illusion 
of  being  under  an  open  sky  shall  not  be  broken.  The  absence  of 
doors  shall  also  tend  to  maintain  and  deepen  the  stillness,  and  to 
intensify  the  silence  still  more,  it  is  essential  that  the  floor  of  the 
outer  circle  be  heavily  carpeted. 

Further,  it  is  important  that  comfortable  seats,  meeting  the 
preference  of  all  kinds  of  people,  without  suggesting  chairs  and 
pews  in  schoolrooms,  theatres  and  churches,  should  be  provided. 
To  illustrate :  let  us  choose  the  burning  rosebush,  from  out  of  which 
the  Great  God,  I  am,  spoke  to  Moses,  as  the  central  symbol. 
Corresponding  to  this  central  piece,  we  would  surround  it  with  a 
stonehenge,  consisting  of  twelve  rough  stones,  suggesting  the  wilder- 
ness, to  hide  the  openings  or  entrances.  The  chairs  or  lounges  on 
the  outer  circle  we  would  have  covered  with  desert  colored  rugs, 
arranged  in  such  a  way  that  they  would  resemble  the  billowy  sand- 
dunes  in  the  "Garden  of  Allah" — a  very  poetic  name  for  the  desert. 

On  these  rugs  everybody  could  find  a  fold  where  he  or  she 
could  rest  comfortably  like  Lazarus  in  Abraham's  bosom,  or  like 
children  in  the  arms  of  Jesus. 

As  central   symbols  that  may  be   chosen,  we   shall  mention: 


76  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

Yg^^drasel,  the  tree  of  life,  a  lotus  flower,  the  scapegoat,  the  lamb  of 
God,  the  golden  calf,  the  eagle  and  the  serpent,  a  fountain  or  a 
well.  These  and  others  with  fitting  accessories  shall  give  variety 
to  tlie  interiors  of  our  temples. 

Men  early  realized  that  it  was  a  great  advantage  to  have  some- 
body or  something  to  look  up  to  as  it  tends  to  keep  us  erect  and 
upright.  So  they  placed  kings  upon  thrones,  idols  upon  altars, 
their  temples  in  high  places,  and  their  God  in  Heaven  above. 

To  maintain  or  rather  to  regain  our  upward  gaze,  we  shall 
depend  on  the  artist  of  the  sky  to  create  images  of  Heaven,  the 
beauty  of  which  shall  compel  us  to  look  upward. 

Landscape  painters  taught  us  to  appreciate  the  beauty  of 
natural  scenery,  even  the  rugged  mountains  and  the  barren  plains. 
The  artist's  celestial,  no  doubt,  shall  teach  us  to  appreciate  the 
changing  beauty  of  the  sky  even  under  its  most  forbidding  aspects. 

In  our  temples  it  shall  be  possible  by  mechanical  means  to 
give  an  exact  image  or  an  idealized  view  of  the  tropical,  the 
Northern  and  the  Southern  sky,  and  the  movement  of  Heavenly 
bodies,  drifting  clouds,  migrating  birds,  and  therefore,  make  our 
Heavens  an  educational  feature  of  our  social  life.  But  as  a  house 
of  prayer,  where  we  can  come  to  ourselves,  discover  ourselves  and 
gain  the  strength  to  be  true  to  ourselves,  under  all  circumstances, 
a  Heaven  that  creates  in  us  a  prayerful  mood  is  the  most  perfect. 
Perhaps  a  panoramic  view  of  a  slumbering  landscape  under  an 
evening  sky  shall  best  answer  that  purpose. 

Music,  even  more  than  the  aspect  of  the  sky,  dominates  our 
moods  and  emotions,  and  we  shall  take  it  into  our  service  as  an 
art  allied  to  painting,  and  prepare  a  room  for  an  orchestra  and  in- 
struments, like  pianos  and  organs,  underneath  the  altar,  connected 
with  Heaven  either  through  openings  at  the  base  of  the  altar  or 
openings  in  an  intersection  between  the  inner  part  and  the  outer 
circle  of  the  floor  as  experiments  shall  prove  to  be  the  best. 

"The  Heavens  are  telling  the  glory  of  God."  But  what  good 
does  it  do  us  if  we  do  not  hear  it?  But  as  we  expect  the  celestial 
artist  to  open  our  eyes  for  the  beauty  of  the  sky  so  we  shall  expect 
the  musicians  to  open  our  ears  for  a  Heavenly  music. 

In  darkness  we  listen  most  attentively — music  is  the  art  of 
night.  Sometime  we  shall  rest  in  Heaven  and  gaze  into  the  starry 
depths  of  the  universe  Avith  a  reverence  like  that  of  the  ancient 
astrologers  and  listen  to  the  nocturnes  of  the  players  of  that  day, 
and  hear  at  last  the  music  of  the  spheres. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  construction  of  our  temples  easily 
admits  of  a  new  feature,  namely,  that  it  can  be  filled  with  rari- 


THE  CLOUDS  77 

fied  and  purified  air.  And  this  again  gives  opportunity  for  the 
practicing  of  the  primary  religious  art  of  offering  up  a  sweet  in- 
cense to  the  gods.  This  art  of  perfuming  the  air,  or  the  art  of 
odorizing,  as  it  might  be  called  under  utopianism,  shall  take  the 
form  of  perfuming  the  air  in  perfect  harmony  with  a  given  land- 
scape or  a  given  ceremony  or  religious  rite.  For  example,  if  the 
panorama  was  presenting  spring,  the  odor  of  apple  blossoms  would 
be  in  order ;  for  summer,  the  scent  of  new-mown  hay ;  for  autumn, 
the  smell  of  withered  leaves,  etc. 

No  doubt  this  feature  would  add  greatly  to  the  attractiveness 
of  our  temples.  The  gods  in  olden  times  used  to  gather  like  flies 
around  the  altars  erected  on  the  mountain  tops,  when  they  scented 
from  afar  the  sweet  odor  of  burnt  offerings.  So,  to  the  counties 
prepared  for  them,  blessed  spirits  would  come  to  partake  of  their 
good  things  and  with  their  presence  bless  the  community. 

A  new  Heaven  requires  a  new  hell.  These  two  ideas  are  as- 
sociated and  cannot  be  separated.  The  old  idea  of  hell  is  that  it 
is  a  place  of  torment — eternal  torment  at  that.  To  men  of  this 
generation,  this  idea  of  hell  is  revolting,  and  so  they  boldly  assert 
that  there  is  no  hell.  But  hell  must  always  exist  as  the  opposite  of 
Heaven,  and  so  long  as  we  have  no  conception  of  hell  to  take  its 
place,  the  denial  of  the  existence  of  hell,  shall  leave  in  our  heart 
an  aching  void  nothing  but  the  old  idea  of  that  place  can  fill.  Let 
us,  therefore,  give  to  hell  a  fixed  location  and  a  somewhat  new 
character.  But  our  idea  of  a  new  hell  must  necessarily  retain 
some  features  of  the  old  in  order  to  fill  its  place.  One  of  these 
ideas  is  that  hell  is  located  below  us,  that  it  forms  an  underworld. 
Another  strong  idea  is  that  it  is  a  place  of  torment.  The  old  idea 
that  a  few  saved  souls  shall  sit  in  Heaven  and  enjoy  the  sight  of 
the  suffering  souls  of  the  majority  in  revolting  even  to  some 
Christians,  but  without  having  something  corresponding  to  this  in 
our  new  hell,  we  shall,  as  said  before,  hardly  be  able  to  extricate 
our  souls  from  the  old  belief.  We  shall,  therefore,  locate  hell 
underneath  the  center-piece  or  altar,  that  is,  we  shall  give  to  the 
music  room  the  name  Inferno.  It  has  been  noted  that  there  is 
something  demoniacal  about  great  musicians,  but  what  is  more  to 
the  point,  music  itself  sometimes  sounds  like  the  wailing  and  weep- 
ing of  lost  souls.  And,  as  we  shall  know  in  Heaven  that  it  is  only 
the  afflictions  of  tones,  we  can  listen  to  it  with  equanimity. 

Inferno,  though  in  most  instances  located  in  an  upper  story 
of  a  building,  shall  form  the  basement  of  Heaven.  But  as  this 
Inferno  shall  only  occupy  the  center  space  of  that  basement,  and 


78  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

as  it  often  shall  be  convenient  to  extend  this  basement  to  the  limit 
of  the  temple,  we  shall  offer  a  few  suggestions  in  regard  to  the 
proper  use  of  that  space. 

The  region  of  the  underworld  adjoining  Inferno,  we  would 
convert  into  a  religious  library  and  museum.  The  library  to  con- 
sist of  the  Bibles  or  sacred  scripture  of  all  ages  including  mythology 
and  the  principal  fairy  tales  and  works  on  folklore,  also  creeds, 
rituals  and  rites.  Limited  to  works  of  that  kind,  any  Utopia  could 
afford  to  have  one.  The  museum  part  would  consist  of  a  collec- 
tion of  idols,  altars,  sacrificial  knives,  instruments  of  torture,  holy 
vessels,  charms,  magic  wands,  etc. 

It  would  ease  the  minds  of  many  in  a  new  Heaven  to  know 
that  down  in  the  basement  were  preserved  the  Bibles,  the  creeds, 
the  rituals,  and  all  the  paraphernalia  of  worship,  and  that  we  could 
go  back  to  the  old  ways  any  time  we  wanted  to.  To  this,  the  middle 
region  of  the  underworld,  we  shall  give  the  name  Limbo. 

The  outer  circle  of  the  underworld  we  would  form  into  a 
gallery  of  religious  art,  containing  statutes  of  gods  and  goddesses, 
and  all  the  wonderful  creation  of  myths  and  fairy  tales  and  paint- 
ings depicting  scenes  from  the  strange  life  of  these  beings.  As 
many  of  the  stories  of  the  gods  and  fairies  are  humorous,  and  the 
situations  wherein  they  at  times  were  placed,  were  comical,  this  art 
gallery  shall  lift  the  gloom  pervading  limbo.  There  is  much  in  the 
Christian  religion  that  shall  evoke  the  laughter  of  our  descendants, 
but  we  are  not  ripe  for  it  yet.  At  the  same  time  it  would  be  well 
to  prepare  a  place  for  the  reception  and  preservation  of  the 
masterpieces  of  Christian  art,  in  a  time  when  the  churches  that  now 
contain  them  shall  be  less  numerous  than  they  are  today. 

This  part  of  the  underworld  we  shall  call  Chaos,  a  name  that 
shall  distinguish  it  from  the  celestial  gallery  encircling  the  hem- 
isphere. 

Though  we  as  yet  see  no  temples  on  the  "templed  hills,"  it 
already  makes  our  journeys  on  the  railroads  and  interurban  lines 
more  interesting  since  we  wonder  as  we  pass,  where  temples 
could  be  located  to  the  best  advantage,  and  what  style  of  architecture 
would  fit  in  with  the  landscape. 

OBSERVANCES 

The  first  observance  we  shall  recommend  is  this :  In  the  cor- 
ridor, everyone  takes  off  his  shoes  or  puts  on  some  special  slippers 
there  to  be  found,  before  entering  Heaven.    An  observance  of  that 


THE  CLOUDS  79 

kind  shall  impress  upon  the  mind  that  this  place  is  holy,  the  stillness 
of  the  temple  shall  not  be  broken,  and  it  shall  prevent  the  carpet 
from  being  soiled. 

In  regard  to  the  observance  of  holidays,  we  shall  offer  a  few- 
suggestions. 

In  connection  with  the  Christmas  or  New  Year  celebration,  it 
would  be  well  to  revive  a  custom  of  our  heathen  ancestors.  On 
that  occasion,  it  was  customary  among  them  to  make  a  solemn 
promise  to  perform  a  given  task  during  the  coming  year,  and  it 
was  considered  a  disgrace  to  meet  again  at  the  festive  board  with- 
out having  fulfilled  the  pledge.  New  Year's  resolutions  to  be 
sure,  are  nothing  new  among  us,  only  our  resolutions  are  more 
often  a  promise  not  to  do  certain  things,  while  our  ancestors  took 
the  more  positive  attitude  and  promised  to  do  something. 

The  observance  of  a  day  of  thanksgiving  is  agreeable  to  us,  and 
in  connection  with  that  observance,  we  shall  make  a  suggestion  to 
Utopians,  namely,  that  a  thanksgiving  offering  shall  be  received  in 
the  temple.  It  seems  to  be  a  problem  for  some,  how  to  dispose  of 
their  fortune,  and  this  offering  would  be  a  convenience  whereby 
money  could  be  restored  to  the  public  after  it  had  become  a  burden  to 
the  possessor.  It  might  also  be  a  means  of  restoring  the  peace  of 
mind  of  those  who  had  come  into  possession  of  wealth  by  robbery, 
theft,  fraud,  etc.  The  best  way,  the  only  right  way  of  course,  is 
to  give  it  back  to  those  we  have  wronged,  but  this  is  not  always 
possible.  The  next  best  way,  it  seems  to  us,  would  be  to  give  it 
as  a  thanksgiving  offering  to  private  or  public  Utopias.  Through 
these  avenues,  some  of  it  at  least,  would  reach  or  be  of  benefit  to 
those  injured,  and  in  doing  this,  a  donor  would  feel  absolved 
and  could  leave  the  temple  with  a  free  conscience  and  with  the  glad- 
ness in  his  heart  innocence  alone  can  give. 

It  is  fitting  that  Utopians  should  observe  the  Sabbath,  or  every 
seventh  day,  no  matter  which,  as  a  day  of  rest.  More  especially 
since  the  Sabbath  from  the  beginning  until  this  day  signifies  ces- 
sation from  labor,  the  original  aim  of  the  Utopian  movement.  As 
we  already  have  the  Sabbath,  we  need  not  dwell  on  it  here,  but 
shall  go  on  to  discuss  what  we  need  but  have  not,  namely,  a  year 
of  jubilee. 

According  to  the  Mosaic  order,  every  fiftieth  year,  we  believe, 
was  a  year  of  jubilee.  The  interval  is  too  long,  every  seventh 
year  at  least  should  be  a  year  of  jubilee. 

While  the  jubilee  itself,  perhaps,  shall  not  be  all  that  we  an- 
ticipate, but  like  the  ordinary  Sunday,  shall  often  become  tedious. 


80  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

it  shall  break  the  monotony  of  life  and  give  us  something  to  look 
forward  to.  And  it  shall  give  the  masses  a  chance  to  realize  the 
difference  between  a  free  and  playful  life  of  leisure  and  an  enforced 
idleness  and  all  its  worry. 

As  the  Greek  reckoned  time  in  ollympiads,  so  the  life  of  an 
Utopia  could  be  measured  by  the  number  of  jvibilees  it  attained. 

To  let  the  jubilee  be  the  closing  year  of  an  Utopian  administra- 
tion, and  let  the  administration  be  judged  by  that  event  or  by  what 
kind  of  a  jubilee  it  put  up  should  prove  an  incentive  to  action.  Dur- 
ing the  jubilee,  the  inhabitants  would  have  time  to  think  and  talk 
the  matter  over  and  make  plans  for  the  ensuing  term,  and  could 
close  the  jubilee  with  the  election  and  inauguration  of  a  new  ad- 
ministration. 

The  material  part  of  tliis  program  presents  no  difficulties. 
To  accumulate  enough  provisions  to  last  for  a  year  is  a  small  matter, 
nor  can  we  doubt  that  this  idea  would  appeal  to  many,  especially 
to  the  young.  Nor  would  it  seem  strange.  It  would  be  like  the 
preparation  for  a  holiday  or  a  long  vacation.  The  boys  would  get 
ready  their  camping  outfits,  and  the  girls  work  on  their  jubilee 
gowns,  while  the  older  people  would  figure  out  what  work  could 
be  dispensed  with.  The  fields  of  course,  would  rest  from  cultiva- 
tion, and  all  the  factories  stop  operations,  and  all  the  stores  close, 
but  the  cows,  if  kept,  would  have  to  be  milked  and  all  the  domestic 
animals  cared  for,  though  even  this  work  could  be  reduced  con- 
siderably. 

It  is  worth  looking  forward  to.  Its  inauguration  could  be,  and 
with  the  aid  of  utopianism  and  religious  sentiment  combined,  would 
be,  an  event  never  to  be  forgotten.  It  would  fill  us  with  awe  and 
exultation  to  see  a  prophecy  fulfilled. 

We  shall  hear  bells  ringing  in  the  jubilee  and  gradually,  factory 
whistles  and  all  the  infernal  noises  of  industry  and  commerce  shall 
die  away,  as  subdued  by  a  higher  power.  And  all  is  quiet,  so 
quiet  that  we  shall  hear  the  birds  singing  and  hear  the  humming  of 
insects.  And  while  the  bells  chime  on  more  triumphantly,  we 
ourselves  shall  lift  up  our  voices  and  sing  in  the  great  jubilee. 

RITES  AND  RITUALS 

The  performance  of  rites  and  rituals  in  connection  with  the 
principal  events  in  a  man's  career,  like  birth,  death,  marriage, 
divorce,  etc.,  is  of  tlie  greatest  importance.  It  gives  to  the  life  of 
the  humblest  being  a  significance  it  otherwise  would  not  have  and 
it  cultivates  the  social  instincts. 

A  complete  set  of  rituals  undoubtedly  would  be  an  all  sufficient 


THE  CLOUDS  81 

and  ideal  form  wherein  the  principles  of  an  Utopia  could  be  em- 
bodied. Performed  on  the  most  momentous  occasions  and  em- 
bellished by  the  fine  arts  rituals  are  ideal  means  whereby  the  ideals 
of  an  Utopia  can  be  impressed  upon  the  minds  of  the  young  and 
kept  alive  in  their  memory  as  they  grow  older. 

Of  the  events  to  be  solemnized  with  a  ritual,  we  wish  to  call 
attention  to  the  event  of  coming  of  age.  Not  the  legal  age  but  the 
age  of  puberty,  generally  speaking,  around  the  age  of  graduating 
from  the  public  schools. 

Everything  ought  to  be  done  to  help  children  to  pass  safely 
through  this  critical  period.  Parents  especially,  seem  to  be  unable 
to  realize  that  their  children  are  no  longer  children,  but  men  and 
women  at  least  in  their  own  estimation. 

A  separation  of  parents  and  child  during  that  time  should  be 
the  best,  but  when  this  cannot  take  place,  a  solemn  promise  on  the 
part  of  the  parents  that  henceforth  they  shall  treat  their  children 
as  grown-ups,  likewise  on  the  part  of  the  child  coming  of  age, 
that  from  now  on,  it  shall  treat  its  parents  with  the  same  deference 
that  we  show  strangers,  would  impress  upon  the  minds  of  all  con- 
cerned, the  change  that  had  taken  place. 

Boys  especially,  form  n-c-iv  bad  habits  like  chewing  and 
smoking  tobacco  and  drinking  Leer  and  brandy,  all  of  which  they 
do  to  convince  themselves  and  others  that  they  are  men,  not  be- 
cause they  have  a  natural  liking  for  these  things. 

We  learn  from  "Private  letters  of  Cicero,"  that  when  his 
son  was  sixteen  years  of  age,  his  father  presented  him  with  a 
toga  as  a  sign  that  he  was  now  a  man.  This  seems  to  have  been 
a  custom  among  the  Romans,  a  good  custom.  In  our  time  under 
the  reigning  fashion  in  clothes,  this  means  that  when  a  boy  was  of 
age  and  put  on  long  pants,  he  should  be  treated  as  a  man  and  not 
imposed  upon  any  more. 

As  the  observance  of  rites  and  rituals  shall  be  the  outward  sign 
of  an  Utopias  character,  signs  whereby  we  shall  be  able  to  distinguish 
one  from  another,  and  as  we  imagine  our  Utopias  to  be  many  and 
different,  it  would  be  premature  or  out  of  order  at  present  to  submit 
a  complete  set  of  rituals  for  a  given  Utopia,  as  such  a  set  of  rituals 
to  some  extent  might  hamper  and  in  some  instances,  perhaps,  pre- 
vent the  free  creation  of  others. 

But  in  all  this  diversity,  it  is  desirable  that  Utopians  should 
have  one  ritual  in  common.  For  that  purpose,  we  have  written  a 
complete  ritual  of  baptism,  which  with  slight  alterations  so  as  to 
conform  to  local  or  personal  sentiments,  may  be  agreed  upon. 

The  naming  of  a  child  is  really  an  initiatory  ceremony.     As 


82  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

such,  it  suggests  other  ceremonies  or  rituals  of  initiation.  These 
again  of  course  must  vary  according  to  the  character,  aim  or 
object  of  the  different  Utopias.  The  initiatory  ceremonies  at  the 
center  of  the  composite  Utopias  shall  probably  be  very  similar,  the 
difference  being  only  between  the  rituals  for  the  initiation  of 
different  kinds  of  applicants,  for  the  sentiments  of  a  young  man 
joining  the  center  of  a  composite  Utopia  for  its  educational  ad- 
vantages or  to  prepare  himself  for  kingship,  we  imagine,  would  be 
very  different  from  that  of  a  retired  farmer  or  merchant  who 
might  join  an  Utopia  of  that  kind  for  its  social  pleasures.  Dif- 
ferent from  these  again,  would  be  the  emotions  of  one  who  had 
gambled  and  lost  in  the  game  of  life  and  at  last,  worn  out  by  love 
and  labor,  took  refuge  at  the  center  of  an  composite  Utopia. 
Substituting  for  "The  House  of  the  Lord"  our  new  name  for  the 
poor-house,  some  of  the  psalms  of  David  perhaps  shall  express  his 
sentiments  exactly : 

I  was  glad  when  they  said  unto  me,  "Come,  let  us  go  into  the 
Home  of  the  Brave." 

For  a  day  in  Thy  courts  is  better  than  a  thousand. 

I  had  rather  be  a  door-keeper  in  the  Home  of  the  Brave  than 
to  dwell  in  the  tents  of  wickedness. 

UTOPIAN  RITUAL  BAPTISM. 

Under  a  somber  sky,  the  people  are  assembled  in  Heaven.  The  King, 
the  men  and  boys  seated  at  the  North  side.  The  Matron,  the  women  and 
girls,  at  the  East  Side.  The  singers  and  the  guests  at  the  South  side.  At 
the  South  entrance  a  Herald. 

Martial  introduction  to  "The  Star  Spangled  Banner."  Enter  the  Vestal 
and  attendants  from  the  West  side  (assembly  arises.)  She  advances  to  her 
station  opposite  the  Matron.  At  her  right  side  a  youth  with  the  national 
flag,  at  her  left  side  a  maiden  with  a  book  of  records. 

Song  by  the  Assembly 

Oh,  say,  can  you  see,  by  the  dawn's  early  light 
What  so  proudly  we  hailed  at  the  twilight's  last  gleaming. 

Whose  broad  stripes  and  bright  stars,  thro'  the  perilous  fight. 
O'er  the  ramparts  we  watched,  were  so  gallantly  streaming ! 

And  the  rockets'  red  glare,  the  bombs  bursting  in  air. 
Gave  proof  thro'  the  night  that  our  flag  was  still  there. 

CHORUS : 

Oh,  say,  does  that  star-spangled  banner  still  wave. 
O'er  the  land  of  the  free  and  the  home  of  the  brave? 

After  the  song  has  been  sung  and  all  are  seated,  the  king  rises. 


THE  UTOPIAN  WAY  83 

The  Herald 
Hear :  the  words  of  our  King ! 

The  King 

"Where  I  am  there  is  liberty. 

"There  is  no  sin  and  no  sinners. 

"We  are  perfect  all  together." 

"Oh,  my  brethren,  I  consecrate  you  to  be,  and  show  unto  you 
the  way  into  a  new  nobility.  Ye  shall  become  pro-creators  and 
breeders  and  sowers  of  the  future." 

"Not  whence  ye  come  be  your  honour  in  future,  but  whither  ye 
go !  Your  will,  and  your  foot  that  longeth  to  get  beyond  yourselves 
— be  that  your  new  honour !" 

"Oh,  my  brethren,  not  backward  shall  your  nobility  gaze,  but 
forward!  Expelled  ye  shall  be  from  all  father's  and  forefather's 
lands !" 

"Your  children's  lands  ye  shall  love,  (be  this  love  your  new 
nobility!)  the  land  undiscovered  in  the  remotest  sea!  For  it  I  bid 
your  sails  seek  and  seek !" 

After  the  king  is  seated  the  matron  rises. 

The  Herald 
Hear  the  words  of  our  matron. 

The  Matron 

Our  love  goes  forward  to  the  young,  were  it  not  so,  life  would 
cease.  But  in  preparing  a  home  for  our  children,  we  have  also  cre- 
ated a  place  of  rest  for  ourselves.  In  caring  for  them,  we  shall  lay 
up  a  treasure  in  Heaven  for  as  we  do  unto  them,  they  shall  do 
unto  us  in  days  when  we  are  helpless  as  they  are  helpless  now  in 
our  home  everlasting. 

After  the  Matron  is  seated  the  Vestal  rises. 

The  Herald 
Hear  the  words  of  the  Vestal  of  the  Republic. 

The  Vestal 

We  hold  these  truths  to  be  self-evident,  that  all  men  are 
created  equal,  that  they  are  endowed  by  their  Creator  with  certain 
inalienable  rights,  that  among  these  are  life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit 
of  happiness ;  that  to  secure  these  rights  governments  are  established 


g4  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

among  men,  deriving  their  just  power  from  the  consent  of  the  gov- 
erned ;  that  whenever  any  form  of  government  becomes  destructive 
of  these,  it  is  the  right  of  the  people  to  aUer  or  aboHsh  it,  and  to 
institute  a  new  government,  laying  its  foundation  on  such  prin- 
ciples, and  organizing  its  powers  in  such  form,  as  to  them  shall 
seem  most  likely  to  effect  their  safety  and  happiness. 

After  the  Vestal  is  seated  a  jouth  from  among  the  singers  rises. 

The  Herald 
Hear  the  words  of  Him  in  whose  name  the  children  waiting 
shaW  be  formally  received  into  our  home  and  placed  under  the  pro- 
tection of  the  Republic. 

The  Youth 
Come  unto  me  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden  and  I 
shall  give  you  rest. 

And  he  that  cometh  to  me  shall  I  in  no  wise  cast  out. 
Suffer  little   children  to  come  unto  me  and   forbid  them  not 
to  enter,  for  of  such  is  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven.     And  w^hosoever 
shall  receive  one  little  child  in  my  name  hath  received  me. 

Behold  I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock ;  if  any  man  hear  my 
voice  and  open  the  door,  I  will  come  in  to  him  and  will  sup  with 
him,  and  he  with  me. 

All  are  seated. 
Silence  for  a  while. 
During  this  silence  the  gloomy  aspects  of  Heaven  is  gradually  changed 
mto  the  likeness  of  a  bright  and  beautiful  April  sky  with  a  rainbow  amidst 
tihe  clouds  and  the  air  is  perfumed  with  the  scent  of  spring  flowers. 

^hc  Aioaiiibl;i'  risoo. 

Song  of  Chorus  afar  off,  coming  nearer, 
answered  from  above  with  chiming  of  bells. 

Enter  from  the  South  the  procession  of  those  who  carry  the  children  to 
be  baptized  and  their  attendants.  It  is  headed  by  a  little  child  and  a  chorus 
of  young  boys  and  followed  by  a  chorus  of  young  girls.  The  procession  pro- 
ceeds slowly  around  the  inner  circle  with  the  sun.     Music  in  a  minor  key. 

Chorus  of  Boys 

(As  they  pass  the  West  side,  forte)  : 
Blest  be  thy  going  and  coming, 
Blest  be  thy  laughter  and  song, 
Now  and  forever  and  ever 
Blest  be  thy  going  and  coming 
For  thousands  of  years  and  a  day. 

Chorus  of  Girls 

(As  they  pass  the  same  side,  mezzo  forte)  : 
I  have  come : — 
Like  a  voice  in  the  wilderness  crying. 


THE  CLOUDS  85 

1  was  lost  and  have  come  to  my  own. 

Chorus  of  Boys 
(As  thej'  pass  the  North  side,  repeat)  : 
Blest  be  thy  going  and  coming 
Blest  be  thy  laughter  and  song, 
Now  and  forever  and  ever 
Blest  be  thy  going  and  coming 
For  thousands  of  years  and  a  day. 

Ciiorl-s  of  Girls 
(As  they  pass  the  same  side,  repeat)  : 
I  have  come : — 

Like  a  voice  in  the  wilderness  crying 
I  was  lost  and  have  come  to  my  own. 

Chorus  of  Boys 

(As  they  pass  the  East  side,  repeat)  : 
Blest  be  thy  going  and  coming, 
Blest  be  thy  laughter  and  song, 
Now  and  forever  and  ever. 
Blest  be  thy  going  and  coming, 
For  thousands  of  years  and  a  day. 

Chorus  of  Girls 
(Repeat  as  before)  : 
I  have  come ! 

Like  a  voice  in  the  wildnerness  crying — 
I  was  lost  and  have  come  to  my  own. 
When  the  procession  is  opposite  the  Vestal  it  comes  to  a  standstill,  hav- 
ing formed  itself  into  an  open  square  or  half  circle.  Children  and  attend- 
ants at  the  center  facing  the  Vestal,  (chairs  may  be  provided  for  those  who 
carry  the  children).  Chorus  boys  to  the  Vestal's  left,  Chorus  girls  to  her 
right,  facing  each  other. 

The  Vestal  rises  and  crosses  over  to  the  center  unassisted. 

Chorus  of  Boys  and  Girls 

(chanting)  : 

In  his  name  shall  all  generations  be  blest. 

Ears  have  not  heard,  eyes  have  not  seen,  neither  has  it  en- 
tered into  the  minds  of  men  to  conceive  what  God  has  prepared  for 
those  who  w^ait  for  Him. 

In  his  name  shall  all  generations  be  blest. 

The  Vestal 
At  the  center  baptizing,  shall  with  a  bare  hand  pour  water  over  the  bare 
head  of  the  child  and  wihle  so  doing  shall  say  with   full  voice  and  accen- 
tuated pronunciation  : 

In  the  name  Jesus,  I  baptize  you (giving  to  the 

child  its  name). 

the  child  its  name). 


86  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

The  Maiden 
With  the  records  shall  then  say: 

(giving  the  name  of  the  child)  your  name  is  writ- 
written  in  the  book  of  life,  in  the  records  of  the  repubHc,  and  in 
the  memory  of  those  present. 

This  is  repeated  until  all  the  children  are  baptized. 
(As  the  Vestal  returns  to  her  place) 
Song 
(By  the  Assembly  and  Chorus)  : 
Hail,  Immanuel !     C^od  is  with  us. 
One  with  man  ere  time  begun, 
That  thy  word  hath  truly  spoken 
It  shall  be  beneath  the  sun. 

Hail,  Immanuel !     God  is  with  us, 

Children  of  the  spirit,  free, 
Heirs  to  all  the  kingdoms  coming, 

In  communion  with  thee. 

Hail,  Immanuel !     God  is  with  us, 

Thine  the  power  and  glory  still, 
And  thy  kingdom  comes  whenever 

I  shall  speak  the  word :   I  will. 
All  are  seated  except  the  Vestal  who  remains  standing. 

The  Vestal 

In  the  name  of  the  republic  I  now  declare  these  children  duly 
baptized  and  entitled  to  all  the  rights  and  privileges  granted  by  the 
constitution  of  the  United  States  of  America. 

May  they  grow  up  and  be  a  credit  to  their  home  and  an  honor 
to  our  country. 

And  let  us  pray  that  tliese  children  in  the  fullness  of  time 
shall  receive  the  baptism  of  a  purifying  spirit,  of  which  the  baptism 
with  water  is  but  a  symbol,  and  the  Creator  shall  be  glorified  in 
them. 

The  procession  now  countermarches,  the  head  taking  the  outer  course 
passing  the  Herald.  Music  suggesting  "Home,  Sweet  Home."  It  lines  up 
before  the  Matron  as  formerly  before  the  Vestal,  only  that  the  boys  of  the 
chorus  are  to  the  right  and  the  girls  to  her  left. 

The  Matron 
Man  as  a  social  being  must  of  necessity  modify  his  conduct 
so  as  to  make  association  possible.  His  modified  conduct  grows 
into  customs,  morals  or  codes  of  etiquette,  more  or  less  subject  to 
change.  With  us  it  is  customary  on  this  occasion  to  present  each 
child  with  a  gift  as  a  token  of  our  love,  and  to  the  boys,  to  remind 
them  in  days  to  come  that  here  they  shall  always  be  remembered. 


THE  UTOPIAN  WAY  87 

No  matter  how  far  their  adventurous  spirit  shall  tempt  them  to 
roam,  they  cannot  drift  beyond  our  care.  And  to  the  girls  we  give 
this  little  key  as  a  symbol  of  the  responsibility  that  rests  upon 
woman  to  preserve  the  race  and  everything  that  benefits  man, 
physically,  mentally,  morally. 

Bestowing  the  gifts  upon  the  children  with  the  assistance  of  the  women 
in  waiting,   she  shall  say  to  each  child : 

(giving  the  name  of  the  child)      you   are   welcome 

in  our  home. 

Song  by  the  Women 
'Mid  pleasures  and  palaces  though  we  may  roam, 
Be  it  ever  so  humble  there's  no  place  like  home; 
A  charm  from  the  skies  seems  to  hallow  us  there, 
Which  seek  thro'  the  world,  is  ne'er  met  with  elsewhere. 
Home,  home,  sweet,  sweet  home. 
Be  it  ever  so  humble,  there's  no  place  like  home. 

Procession  passes  on,  same  direction,  music  suggesting  the  Battle  Hymn 
of  the  Republic,  and  lines  up  in  front  of  the  King  as  previously  before  the 
Vestal  and  the  Matron,  boys  to  his  right  and  girls  to  his  left. 

The  King 

Eternal  vigilance  is  the  price  of  liberty  and  it  is  our  privilege 
to  fit  these  children  for  the  fray.  Our  children  shall  not  want. 
We  pledge  ourselves  to  shield  them  from  trouble  in  their  tender 
years  and  to  train  them  in  youth  to  meet  and  overcome  all  ad- 
versities with  a  bold  and  fearless  spirit  and  to  bear  misfortune 
with  enduring  patience  so  they  at  last  shall  become  full-fledged 
members  of  our  glorious  company. 

Our  free  gift  to  these  little  girls  is  to  remind  them  of  our 
love  and  regard  for  the  opposite  sex  and  that  the  love  of  liberty 
forbids  that  anyone  should  be  enslaved  or  ruled  over  on  account  of 
love. 

To  each  of  the  boys  we  give  a  little  ax  or  hatchet,  to  re- 
mind them  that  they  are  radicals  and  the  descendants  of  pioneers 
and  that  it  shall  be  their  chief  pleasure  to  break  new  paths  through 
the  wilderness  and  make  everything  new.  To  create  is  the  glad- 
ness of  God,  and  as  creators,  we  share  in  His  gladness.  But  cre- 
ation implies  not  only  the  construction  of  the  new,  but  also  the  de- 
struction of  the  old. 

The  axe  is  laid  into  the  root  of  the  trees,  therefore,  ever> 
tree  which  bringeth  not  forth  good  fruit  is  hewn  down  and  cast  into 
the  fire. 

The  hatchet  shall  also  remind  them  of  tlie  beautiful  story  about 
the  boy  George  Washington  and  the  cherry  tree: — T  cannot  tell  a 


88  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

lie.'     Be  that  the  only  limitation  of  princes  and  truly  characteristic 
of  every  King. 

Bestowing  the  gift  upon  the  children  with  the  assistance  of  his  attend- 
ants, the  King  shall  saj'  to  each  child : 

(giving    the    name    of    the    child),    Thou    to    thine 

own  self  be  true. 

Song  by  the  Assembly 
Mine  eyes  have  seen  the  glory  of  the  coming  of  the  Lord ; 
He  is  tramping  out  the  vintage  where  the  grapes  of  wrath  are 

stored ; 
He  has  loosed  the  fateful  lightning  of  His  terrible  swift  sword; 
His  truth  is  marching  on. 
Glory,  glory,  hallelujah! 

The  song  leads  into  a  joyous  ceremonial  dance  by  the  choruses  of  boys 
and  girls,  while  the  children  are  carried  away  by  their  attendants,  directly 
from  the  King's  side,  through  the  South  entrance. 

After  the  dance  is  over  and  the  dancers  have  followed  the  children,  the 
King  shall  address  the  audience  in  his  own  word,  generally  expressing  an 
appreciation  of  women's  work.  Then  a  response  from  the  Matron  winding 
up  with  an  invitation  to  the  reception  for  the  mothers  immediately  to  follow. 

SOXG  BY  THE  ASSEMBLY 

My  country  tis  of  thee, 

Sweet  land  of  liberty 

Of  thee  we  sing. 

Land  where  our  fathers  died, 

Land  of  our  pilgrims  pride. 

From  every  mountain  side. 

Let  freedom  ring. 

Remarks 

As  the  temple  is  an  imitation  of  the  open  sky,  the  ceremony  of 
baptism  may  be  performed  in  open  air. 

Only  one  flag,  Old  Glory,  preferably  of  silk,  ought  to  be  used. 
An  over  abundance  of  decorations  with  bunting  often  has  a  cheapen- 
ing effect. 

Special  pennants  for  the  other  sides  are  permissable. 

A  tag  or  badge  with  the  child's  name  to  be  plainly  written  or 
printed  thereon  should  be  fastened  to  the  dresses  of  the  children  to 
be  baptized. 

In  regard  to  special  costumes  for  the  occasion,  we  shall  sug- 
gest that  the  little  child  that  leads  the  procession  be  dressed  as  nearly 
like  a  cupid  as  possible  and  that  the  costumes  of  the  choruses  of 
boys  and  girls  suggest  Amor  and  Psyche.  Special  costumes  for 
those  who  carry  the  children  and  their  attendants,  and  likewise 


THE  CLOUDS  89 

costly  robes  for  the  Vestal  and  Matron  and  their  attendants,  are  in 
order. 

If  the  King,  the  Herald  and  the  youth  who  carries  the  flag, 
and  others  of  the  male  participants  have  costumes,  these  costumes 
should  be  masculine,  no  cloak  or  robes  or  anything  that  suggests 
women  or  priests. 

A  bunch  of  keys  or  one  big  key  at  the  belt,  should  be  the  badge 
of  office  of  the  Matron.  The  little  keys  given  the  girls  as  a  symbol 
of  woman's  function,  may  be  made  of  gold  or  silver  or  any  other 
precious  or  suitable  material  and  vary  in  style. 

The  miniature  axe  or  hatchet  should  be  made  of  a  material 
similiar  to  that  of  the  keys. 

The  presents  to  the  boys  from  the  women  and  to  the  girls  from 
the  men,  may  consist  of  a  little  token  of  remembrance  or  of  what- 
ever they  may  find  it  in  their  hearts  to  give  them. 

No  ceremonial  dance  should  be  attempted  unless  the  choruses 
are  properly  trained  to  perform  the  dance. 

Instead,  a  song  combined  with  some  simple,  graceful  movement 
might  be  introduced  and  we  would  suggest  the  following  Christian 
hymn  as  suitable  for  the  occasion : 
My  father  is  rich  in  houses  and  lands. 
He  holdeth  the  wealth  of  the  world  in  his  hands ; 
Of  rubies  and  diamonds,  of  silver  and  gold, 
His  coffers  are  full,  He  has  riches  untold. 
I'm  a  child  of  a  King,  the  child  of  a  King, 
With  Jesus  my  Savior,  I'm  a  child  of  a  King. 

More  verses  than  the  one  quoted,  from  the  various  songs  may 
be  sung. 

The  plural  form  is  used  because  we  imagine  that  in  most  in- 
stances several  children  shall  be  baptized  at  the  same  time,  but 
when  only  one  boy  or  only  one  girl  is  baptized  the  ritual  must  of 
course  be  changed  so  as  to  fit  the  case. 

In  the  book  of  records  each  child  should  be  given  one  page, 
to  be  filled  out  with  a  description  of  each  individual  and  a  brief 
sketch  of  his  or  her  career  as  the  years  pass  by. 

The  first  quotation  in  the  King's  first  speech :  "We  are  perfect 
altogether"  is  from  Max  Stirner's  "The  Ego  and  His  Own." 

The  other  quotations  in  the  same  speech  are  culled  from 
Nietzches  Zarathustra.  (There  is  much  of  a  ritualistic  value  in 
the  writings  of  Nietzsche.) 


90  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

THE  HOLY  COMMUNION 

"Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Whatsoever  ye  shall  bind  on  earth 
shall  be  bound  in  Heaven;  and  whatsoever  ye  shall  loose  on  earth 
shall  be  loosed  in  Heaven. 

"Again  I  say  unto  you,  That  if  two  of  you  shall  agree  on 
earth  as  touching  anything  that  they  shall  ask,  it  shall  be  done  for 
them  of  my  Father  which  is  in  Heaven. 

"For  where  two  or  three  are  gathered  together  in  my  name, 
there  am  I  in  the  midst  of  them." 

This  is  the  Holy  Communion. 

Here  we  have  the  essentials  of  a  sacrament :  First,  its  institu- 
tion of  a  God-conscious  man.  Second,  an  inward  grace  is  con- 
ferred, namely,  the  bread  that  comes  out  of  Heaven  as  beautiful 
inspirations.  Third,  the  presence  of  a  veritable  sign,  in  this  in- 
stance, a  crowd. 

Into  the  sanctuary  every  one  is  free  to  enter,  and  with  his  or 
her  presence  in  some  measure  determine  the  character  or  soul  of 
the  community,  the  same  as  our  votes  count  in  the  outer  world 
in  the  afifairs  of  the  republic. 

The  entrance  into  the  Holy  Communion  is  like  a  grub  or  larva 
going  into  the  state  of  pupa  or  chrysalis.  Obtaining  perfect  still- 
ness and  safely  covered  by  the  silk  lined  cocoon,  the  body  of  the 
larva,  first  becomes  fluid  and  is  then  transformed  into  a  winged 
insect  perfectly  fitted  to  cope  with  the  conditions  in  the  outer 
world.  So  in  this  Heaven  under  the  influence  of  harmonious  music 
and  proper  atmospheric  conditions,  our  souls  shall  first  become 
fluid  and  then  be  transformed  into  the  likeness  of  angels.  Full  of 
life  and  with  a  dauntless  spirit,  we  shall  then  be  able  to  overcome 
all  obstacles  when  we  emerge  from  the  temple  to  fulfill  our  mis- 
sions, individually  or  collectively. 

CLOSING  PARAGRAPHS 

A  new  spirit  came  into  this  world,  the  spirt  of  truth,  but  so  far 
this  spirit  in  most  instances  has  affected  our  intellect  only.  Our 
souls  have  not  been  transformed.  Pursued  and  pressed  by  the  new 
light,  we  are  seeking  some  hiding  place  where  it  is  possible  to 
beheve  and  feel  as  before,  acting  as  it  seems  on  the  ill  advice  "if 
your  eye  offend  thee,  pluck  it  out,"  but  some  time,  when  we  least 
expect  it,  a  new  consciousness  in  harmony  with  our  intellect  shall 
steal  into  our  being  like  a  thief  in  the  night.  Perhaps  some  even- 
ing while  standing  on  a  lonely  street  corner  waiting  for  a  car 
to  take  us  to  the  heart  of  the  city.     In  such  an  idle  moment,  when 


THE  UTOPIAN  WAY  91 

in  a  strange,  lost  and  sensitive  mood,  when  an  unusual  brilliancy  of 
the  sky  compels  us  to  gaze  upward  into  the  starry  deep,  Heaven 
shall  be  revealed  to  us  as  something  tangible,  as  something  so  near 
us  that  we  can  touch  with  our  hand,  not  seen,  but  felt  like  a  near- 
ness of  mighty  water,  as  if  we  stood  in  a  warm  room  looking 
through  a  window  and  an  invisible  hand  removed  the  panes  and 
we  felt  the  fresh  air  streaming  in  upon  us.  In  such  a  moment,  we 
shall  become  conscious  of  Heaven  as  a  power,  a  power  that  we 
can  use. 

The  mere  thought  that  man  possesses  this  power  is  thrilling, 
that  by  the  fiat  of  his  will  he  can  compel  changes,  that  by  boldly 
writing  across  the  sky :    So  be  if,  it  shall  come  to  pass. 

Yes — and  it  might  come  to  pass  that  some  masterful  fiend, 
coming  in  touch  with  that  power,  would  take  advantage  of  the 
situation  and  decree  that  henceforth,  not  the  spirit  of  life  and  truth, 
but  he  himself  personally,  shall  be  all  in  all  and  the  rest  of  us  only 
the  puppets  of  his  will. 

What  then? 

Well — what  happens  to  one  may  happen  to  another.  Let  us  be 
prepared,  as  we  know  not  when  our  moment  comes,  and  when  it 
comes,  it  is  our  privilege  to  inscribe  in  the  sky  an  antithesis  and  let 
there  be  war  in  Heaven. 


BOOK  II, 


IDLE  THOUGHTS 

On  the  Moral  Order  of 
the  Universe 


IDLE  THOUGHTS 


THE  SHINING  SURFACE 

Earth  is  the  floor  of  Heaven,  reflecting  the  face  of  God.  Con- 
sequently the  upper  or  foremost  part  of  all  creatures  is  the  most 
highly  developed,  and  therefore,  the  most  beautiful.  All  is  good 
when  looked  at  from  above. 

Perhaps  the  numerous  forms  of  life  here  on  earth  are  the 
counterparts  of  similar  forms  existing  on  the  shining  surface  of 
heavenly  bodies  similar  to  our  globe  and  connected  with  them 
through  interstellar  space.  Again,  all  forms  may  be  latent  in  the 
ether,  and  by  the  electric  current  set  up  by  the  great  dynamo,  the 
sun,  they  become  visible  to  our  eyes,  when  this  current  meets  the 
resistance  of  air,  earth  and  water.  In  any  case  on  this  surface, 
where  life  comes  to  a  focus,  the  character  of  the  creator  can  be 
studied  to  best  advantage  by  earthly  beings. 

Though  the  living  forms  on  this  earth  be  the  outcome  of 
impressions  received  through  the  ether  by  rays  and  currents  en- 
forced by  strong  sun-batteries  from  similar  forms  on  other  planets, 
this  shall  in  no  way  solve  the  problem  of  the  origin  of  life.  Most 
likely  it  is  a  spurious  problem,  as  we  know  that  there  can  be  no 
beginning  or  end  to  time,  and  as  we  realize  that  space  must  be 
boundless,  although  we  cannot  comprehend  time  and  space,  so  we 
shall  asstmie  that  life  is  eternal,  although  it  be  beyond  our  com- 
prehension. 

As  a  manifestation  of  the  eternal  life,  earth  life  is  dignified. 
Our  struggle  to  keep  body  and  soul  together  is  then  the  struggle  of 
the  eternal  life  and  indicates  that  one  without  the  other  is  next 
to  nothing.  That  the  question  of  the  immortality  of  the  soul  must 
be  forced  upon  us  almost  proves  that  we  are  immortal,  that  is, 
that  we  could  not  be  lost,  even  though  we  tried.  If  there  were 
any  danger  in  that  respect,  we  would  have  been  safe  guarded 
against  such  calamity.  We  are  intensely  made  aware  of  any 
divergence  from  the  narrow  path  that  leads  us  to  the  maintenance 
and  enjoyment  of  natural  life,  that  is,  as  we  take  it  to  eternal 
life.  As  to  any  other  life,  we  are  dependent  upon  revelations 
only,  and  upon  many  revelations  and  many  ways  to  salvation. 
If  our  life  depended  upon  our  faith  in  these  revelations,  the  life 
that  takes  such  infinite  care  for  its  preservation  here  on  earth, 

95 


96  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

would  have  implanted  in  us  a  natural  inclination  for  them,  which 
it  has  not.  It  would  not  have  left  it  to  the  accidents  of  our  being 
born  where  the  Vedas,  the  Bibles,  the  Korans,  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mons, or  any  other  book  teaching  ways  of  salvation  might  happen 
to  come  within  our  reach.  Further,  these  teachings  fail  to  impress 
the  mind  to  a  degree  that  the  belief  in  them  becomes  instinctive. 
They  are  like  dreams.  Babies  are  born  bold  and  free,  free  from 
all  the  effects  of  revelation.  Finally,  life  that  cares  so  much  for 
the  grass  in  the  field  must  have  cared  for  its  eternal  maintenance. 
The  life  on  the  earth,  which  was  once  a  gaseous  nebula  and  at 
last  shall  be  a  dark,  frozen  mass  if  we  accept  that  hypothesis, 
must  have  been  provided  with  a  means  whereby  it  shall  appear 
again,  as  it  once  did  appear  when  conditions  were  favorable.  The 
theory  of  evolution  gives  only  an  explanation  of  the  development 
of  life.  It  does  not  give  a  satisfactory  account  of  the  forms  de- 
veloped, where  they  come  from,  why  there  are  so  many  of  them, 
and  why  so  different,  and  why  they  persist,  though  they  are  often 
encumbered  with  appendices  that  apparently  are  not  a  help  but  a 
hindrance  in  their  fight  for  existence. 

As  to  the  Moral  Order  of  the  Universe.  Perhaps  this  problem, 
like  many  others,  shall  prove  to  be  a  spurious  problem.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  some  of  the  bright  men  who  have  applied  themselves 
to  the  solution  of  this  problem,  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
there  is  no  such  thing  as  a  moral  order  of  the  Universe.  It  is 
thinkable,  however,  that  what  these  men  were  unconsciously  seek- 
ing, was  not  the  moral  order  of  the  Universe,  but  a  justification  of 
slavery.  This,  we  infer  to  be  the  case  when  it  is  cited  as  a  faint 
indication  of  such  a  moral  order  that  certain  ants  keep  what  re- 
semble slaves.  But  one  who  knew  so  little  about  the  life  on  the 
farm,  for  instance,  as  we  know  about  the  life  in  an  ant  hill,  would 
probably  be  at  a  loss  to  know  who  were  the  slaves  and  who  the 
masters.  Observing  that  the  farmer  worked  early  and  late  and 
much  harder  than  the  domestic  animals,  that  he  fed  his  horses 
and  cattle,  that  he  cleaned  and  bedded  them  and  cared  for  them  in 
every  way,  would  most  likely  draw  the  conclusion  that  the  farmer 
was  the  slave  and  the  domestic  animals  the  aristocracy,  and  when 
he  saw  the  farmer  butcher  some  hogs,  he  would  infer  that  this 
was  the  riot  and  bloodshed  following  an  unsuccessful  strike  for 
shorter  hours  on  the  part  of  the  farmer. 

The  domestication  of  animals,  and  the  institution  of  slavery, 
we  assume,  were  not  primarily  intelligent  or  premeditated  acts. 
When  the  gulf  that  separates  man  from  the  rest  of  the  animals, 
was  not  so  wide,  the  original  types  of  sheep,  cattle,  horses,  cats. 


IDLE  THOUGHTS  97 

dogs,  fowls,  etc.,  kept  close  to  human  beings  as  to  comparatively 
safe  places,  and  gradually  grew  more  tame.  Likewise,  the  weaker 
or  less  aggressive  members  of  the  human  family  sought  protection 
by  keeping  close  to  the  stronger  or  more  forceful  individuals,  and 
were  at  last  enslaved  by  them.     Protection  leads  to  slavery. 

Nowhere  in  nature  do  we  find  slavery.  Slavery  is  the  sin, 
the  only  sin  and  identical  with  the  problem  of  evil  which  has  given 
philosophers  and  the  religions  so  much  trouble  and  so  long  as 
slavery  is  essential  for  civilization  or  considered  to  be  so,  there 
can  be  no  honesty  in  the  discussion  of  religious  and  social  ques- 
tions. 

Our  failure  to  find  a  moral  order  in  the  Universe  may  also  be 
ascribed  to  a  lack  of  concentration.  Our  minds  have  been  wander- 
ing away  from  the  field  where  it  may  be  found,  diverted  bv  revela- 
tions from  on  high  and  by  the  still  small  voice  within.  If  we  fix 
our  attention  on  the  shining  surface  and  observe  the  living  forms 
there  playing  the  game  of  life,  we  shall  perhaps  be  more  successful, 
and  though  we  keep  on  the  surface  of  things,  our  investigations  need 
not  on  that  account  be  superficial. 

In  any  case,  speculation  on  this  important  subject  shall  give 
our  minds  some  needed  exercise  in  idle  moments,  and  in  this  way 
repay  our  efforts.  Like  a  man  who  goes  fishing,  if  his  ramblings 
on  the  lake  shore  or  on  the  banks  of  the  winding  river  gives  him 
some  recreation  in  the  open  air,  though  he  catch  no  fish,  his  fishing 
has  not  been  in  vain. 

Making  man  the  measure  of  all  things,  trees  and  plants  are 
standing  on  their  heads,  or  with  the  end  where  the  head  should  be, 
buried  in  the  ground. 

The  vegetable  kingdom  reveals  most  perfectly  the  side  of  life 
called  love,  and  its  organs  of  generation,  that  is  in  the  flowers, 
are  developed  to  a  wonderful  degree.  Stationary  and  without 
sense  organs,  members  of  that  kingdom,  necessarily  are  non-aggres- 
sive, and,  as  a  rule,  non-resistant.  Exceptions  to  that  rule  are  the 
species  endowed  with  thorns  like  the  thistle,  and  those  that  emit 
poisonous  fluids  when  touched,  like  the  nettle. 

Animals  are  fallen  plants,  moving  in  the  horizontal  plan,  head 
foremost.  This  makes  that  part  of  their  anatomy  the  most 
prominent.  Often  it  is  adorned  with  horns,  and  always  with  sense 
organs,  eyes,  ears,  etc.  We  note  that  while  these  organs  de- 
veloped, the  organs  most  prominent  in  the  vegetable  kingdom 
diminished.  We  note  also  that  their  fallen  position  and  subsequent 
movement  in  the  horizontal  plan  necessarily  brings  them  in  collision 
with  one  another  and  makes  them  more  or  less  aggressive.     The 


98  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

spirit  of  self-sacrifice  is  not  in  the  animals,  nor  in  the  plants  for 
that  matter.  Each  and  all  are  striving  for  themselves  and  in  that 
striving  are  united. 

So  perfectly  are  these  creatures  organized  or  these  machines 
made,  that  though  they  are  most  differently  constituted,  and  though 
they  prey  upon  one  another,  everything  goes  on  harmoniously. 
One  specie  does  not  destroy  the  other.  One  should  think  the 
stronger  the  more  ferocious,  would  do  away  with  tlie  weaker  and 
gentler,  but  in  so  doing,  they  would  in  many  cases  destroy  their 
supply  of  food,  and  what  the  weaker  lack  in  strength,  they  make 
up  for  in  fecundity.  So  perfect  indeed  are  the  living  forms  con- 
stituted, that  when  new  conditions  arise,  useless  organs  disappear 
and  new  ones  develop  to  help  them  in  life  to  overcome  death  and 
as  nearly  as  possible  to  be  what  they  are  as  distinguished  from  other 
species.  All  living  forms,  however,  seem  to  be  so  closely  linked 
together  that  if  one  species  by  accident  or  otherwise  should  become 
extinct,  it  would  probably  in  time  grow  out  of  the  common  stock  of 
life  from  the  forms  most  closely  related  to  it,  as  a  lobster  when  a 
limb  is  lost  will  grow  a  new  one,  that  is,  provided  the  extinct 
species  was  still  essential  for  the  well  being  of  the  whole  and  rooted 
in  the  universal  life. 

Man  is  distinguished  from  the  animals  by  his  upright  position. 
He  is  a  risen  animal  or  converted  plant.  Therefore,  neither  the 
non-resistant  attitude  of  plants  or  the  aggressive  attitude  of  animals 
is  the  proper  moral  attitude  of  man.  While  man  retains  the  organs 
of  love  and  the  sense  organs,  in  brains  alone  does  he  excel,  and 
with  brains  alone  has  he  gained  dominion  over  all  creatures.  And 
as  it  is  proper  for  any  specie  to  cultivate  its  best  point,  and  as  brains 
is  man's  greatest  asset,  its  development  ought  to  be  his  main  con- 
cern. Love  should  only  be  indulged  in  to  the  extent  that  it 
stimulates  imagination  and  augments  vitality.  To  that  extent  an 
ascetic  moral  ideal  is  to  be  commended.  Likewise  combativeness 
ought  to  be  practiced  only  insofar  as  it  strengthens  our  muscles 
and  sharpens  our  wits. 

IMans  upright  position,  we  shall  infer,  gave  the  creative  forces 
on  tlie  rebound,  following  the  bent  of  his  body,  a  freer  access  to 
his  brains  and  developed  that  organ  to  a  degree  that  he  became  self- 
conscious,  or  rather  we  should  say,  by  this  occurrence,  man  was 
created.  What  happened  then  we  shall  more  easily  comprehend, 
if  we  invent  an  analogous  occurrence.  Suppose  man  should  succeed 
in  building  an  automobile  that  was  really  self-moving,  that  is,  one 
that  would  run  about  of  its  own  volition.  Such  an  invention,  would 
of  course,  be  an  achievement,  but  at  the  same  time  a  terrible  thing. 


IDLE  THOUGHTS  99 

an  insane  thing,  and,  like  God,  after  he  had  created  human  beings, 
repented  it,  man  might,  with  good  reason,  regret  that  he  ever  brought 
autos  into  existence.  As  for  the  auto  itself,  it  would  soon  find 
out  that  its  freedom  was  limited  and  that  it  had  to  follow  close 
to  the  tracks  laid  out  by  its  creator.  In  meeting  other  vehicles, 
it  would  have  to  turn  to  the  right,  and  besides  that,  take  heed  of 
the  speed  ordinance,  otherwise  its  career  as  a  self-moving  machine 
would  come  to  a  speedy  end. 

For  a  long  time,  it  was  man's  great  conceit  that  all  things 
were  created  for  his  special  benefit.  It  still  lingers,  but  a  moments 
thought  shall  convince  us  that  such  is  not  the  case.  Consider  the 
seeds  of  dandelions  and  Canadian  thistles.  They  have  down 
whereby  they  are  carried  through  the  air  as  lightly  as  spirits  and 
scattered  broadcast  over  all  counties  to  the  vexation  of  farmers, 
while  the  grains  of  wheat  and  rye  are  not  thus  endowed,  must  be 
carefully  cultivated.  This  shows  clearly  that  no  forethought  or 
special  care  to  furnish  us  with  food  or  drink  is  exerted. 

And  as  it  is  with  man  in  relation  to  the  rest  of  living  beings, 
so  with  each  of  them  in  relation  to  one  another.  Toadstools  are 
not  made  for  toads  to  sit  upon,  nor  have  we  ever  seen  them  thus 
occupied  either  for  that  matter. 

Self-preservation  is  the  first  law  of  nature,  so  the  saying  is, 
and  here  we  observe  the  recognition  of  a  moral  duty  imposed  on  all 
living  beings,  and  we  shall,  (shall  because  we  must)  assume  that 
all  beings  have  free  will,  that  is,  the  ability  out  of  two  or  several 
ways,  to  choose  one,  God,  to  use  that  v/ord,  in  each  enjoying  his 
freedom  and  independence,  for  while  this  freedom  and  independence 
is  immensely  greater  in  man  than  in  the  lower  forms  of  life,  it  is 
a  difference  of  degree  and  not  of  kind.  And  as  the  lower  forms 
of  life  are  more  true  to  themselves,  more  obedient  to  the  natural 
laws  of  life,  or  less  able  to  err  than  we  are,  their  conduct  to  some 
extent,  shall  serve  as  a  criterion  of  our  own. 

To  begin  with,  one  of  the  first  moral  obligations  imposed  upon 
the  members  of  the  earlier  communities  was  to  bury  the  dead. 
This  was  in  conformity  with  the  natural  order.  Countless  animals 
die  every  day  but  rarely  do  we  see  any  dead  bodies  lying  around. 
They  are  quickly  consumed  by  other  animals  and  leave  the  surface 
of  our  globe  fresh  and  fine. 

On  the  same  ground,  namely,  for  appearances  sake,  it  rests 
upon  us,  the  moral  obligation,  to  clothe  the  naked,  especially  the 
old  and  sickly.  If  a  body  is  young  and  healthy,  clothes  do  not 
count  so  much.     The  sight  of  a  boy,  though  his  face  be  dirty  and 


100  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

tfie  bare  skin  shows  through  his  rags,  does  not  depress  us.  The 
healthy  glow  on  his  cheeks,  his  shining  eyes  and  his  white  teeth, 
when  he  smiles  to  us  from  the  gutter,  is  rather  set  off  to  better  ad- 
vantage under  these  conditions. 

Vanity,  the  love  of  appreciation,  the  love  to  shine,  the  love  of 
display  we  discern  in  nature,  especially  in  the  spring  time  when 
every  plant  puts  forth  its  flower,  its  wedding  garments,  therefore, 
it  behooves  us,  especially  if  we  be  rich  or  successful,  even  though 
we  know  that  the  success  for  which  we  are  noted  is  a  hollow 
mockery,  to  put  on  a  gay  appearance.  Otherwise  some  perfectly 
worthless  fool,  when  he  beholds  prominent  citizens,  shall  turn 
Pharisee  and  say  in  his  heart.  "I  thank  thee,  O  God,  that  I  am  not 
like  one  of  these." 

To  see  the  rich  and  successful  clothed  in  ash-colored  sack 
coats  and  with  a  care-worn  countenance,  kills  ambition.  And  why 
do  they  appear  that  way?  Out  of  consideration  for  the  poor.  The 
over-zealous  servants  of  the  rich  are  always  admonishing  their 
masters  not  to  make  any  ostentatious  display  of  wealth  lest  they 
awaken  envy  in  the  heart  of  the  poor. 

But  why  should  not  the  poor  be  envious  ?  Animals  are  envious. 
The  ancient  Greeks  considered  envy  a  virtue.  It  is  a  virtue  if  it 
awakens  in  us  a  desire  to  come  into  possession  of  that  which  we 
envy  in  others.  If  we  desire  a  more  equal  distribution  of  wealth, 
for  instance,  we  ought  not  to  despise  envy  as  a  motive  that  shall 
bring  it  about.  The  preaching  against  envy  only  creates  or  in- 
tensifies class  hatred.  Many  a  poor  man  can  read  with  interest 
and  genuine  appreciation  the  record  of  the  achievements  of  success- 
ful and  rich  men,  or  could  do  so  were  it  not  for  these  insinuating 
servants.  So  also,  we  think  the  poor  would  prefer  to  see  the  rich 
display  their  wealth  in  their  midst  and  in  some  measure  lift  the 
gloom,  rather  than  to  see  them  steal  away  to  Europe  or  exclusive 
resorts  for  that  purpose. 

PARASITES 

Parasites  are  common  in  nature,  so  common  that  many  have 
come  to  think  them  necessary  for  the  well-being  of  an  organism. 

Once  I  met  a  man  who  firmly  believed  that  we  could  not  exist 
were  it  not  for  the  vermin.  I  advanced  some  arguments  that  seemed 
to  contradict  his  statements,  but  he  answered  with  the  wistful  smile 
of  one  who  knows,  "Don't  you  fool  yourself.  If  you  can't  see 
them,  they  are  under  the  skin,  or  hiding  somewhere.  Man  cannot 
live  without  lice." 


IDLE  THOUGHTS  101 

A  conviction  of  that  kind  can  only  be  created  by  long  associa- 
tion, and  perhaps  we  ought  to  respect  a  man  for  having  strong 
convictions.  Much  can  indeed  be  said  in  favor  of  such  a  behef. 
Nearly  all  animals  support  parasites.  That  they  are  needed  in  order 
to  enjoy  good  health  seems  to  be  indicated  by  the  fact  that  they  will 
leave  a  sick  or  dying  body  like  rats  leaving  a  sinking  ship,  or  lik^ 
many  of  the  French  aristocracy  who  left  their  country  before  the 
impending  revolution. 

It  is  at  least  thinkable  that  parasites  under  certain  conditions 
can  keep  people  alive.  A  man  without  energy  or  vitality  enough 
to  keep  his  body  and  clothes  clean  runs  the  risk  that  the  pores  in 
his  skin  will  be  clogged  up.  Then  appears  the  vermin.  As  in- 
carnations of  serving  spirits  and  like  tiny  little  pigs  they  will  root 
and  dig  in  the  dirt  and  waste  matter  sticking  to  the  skin.  Thereby 
the  pores  are  kept  open  and  the  higher  organism  saved.  "O,  the 
depth  of  the  riches,  both  of  the  wisdom  and  knowledge  of  God. 
How  unsearchable  are  his  judgnients  and  his  ways  past  finding  out." 

If  a  man,  by  long  association,  can  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
parasites  are  necessary  to  his  well-being,  what  must  not  the  idea  of 
parasites  themselves  be  in  regard  to  their  own  importance?  Un- 
doubtedly they  imagine  that  the  body  which  they  infest  is  sustained 
by  them  and  if  they  should  be  removed,  they  would  feel  like  the 
king  who  looked  back  upon  his  lost  realm  and  exclaimed,  "What 
shall  my  poor  people  do  without  me?" 

Though  the  parasites  proper  be  only  those  creatures  that  live 
in  or  on  a  living  organism,  we  shall,  for  the  present,  include  in  that 
class  those  that  live  in  dead  bodies  or  decayed  matter.  This  class 
comprises  a  great  number  from  the  buzzard  in  the  sky  to  the  mag- 
gots in  corpses.  The  necessity  of  these  named,  is  easily  seen.  They 
are  the  grave-diggers  and  scavengers  of  nature.  Before  they  are 
cold,  the  corpses  are  attacked  and  the  material  transmitted  into  new 
life.  Now  we  perceive  that  the  parasites  proper  are  the  forerunners, 
the  advance  guard,  so  to  speak,  of  the  army  of  scavengers  that  shall 
consume  the  body  when  life  has  left  it.  Nothing  dead  or  half  dead 
is  permitted  to  exist  except  as  a  lawful  prey  for  livelier  though 
lower  creatures.    Only  in  this  way  can  Hfe  be  kept  fresh  and  pure. 

The  organized  bodies  created  by  man  must  be  governed  by 
the  same  law  as  organisms  in  other  kingdoms.  If  the  body  politic 
is  not  active,  if  its  members  or  the  branches  of  its  institutions 
are  permitted  to  languish,  or  if  there  exist  no  organs  for  the 
exercise  of  all  the  faculties  possessed  or  required  by  a  political 


102  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

unit,  then  the  community  will  be  pestered  with  parasitical  growths 
that  will  thrive,  multiply  and  flourish  until  the  organism  in  which 
they  live  and  move  and  have  their  being,  is  destroyed. 

Nothing,  by  the  way,  is  more  disgusting  than  to  hear  leading 
men  of  a  political  body,  plead  with  parasites :  Be  reasonable,  re- 
strain yourself,  have  you  no  mercy? 

And  what  good  does  it  do?  Nothing.  A  change  of  clothes, 
a  bath — a  new  baptism — these  are  the  proper  means  if  we  want  to 
do  away  with  them. 

But  nothing  annoys  and  angers  parasites  so  much  as  this  that 
the  political  body  stirs.  It  disturbs  them ;  they  lose  confidence  and 
think  the  world  is  coming  to  an  end.  Will  they  then  perhaps  change 
their  policy  ?  No.  Everything  that  is  stands  pat.  Especially  para- 
sites subscribe  to  the  doctrine,  "Whatever  is,  is  right."  And  so  it 
is,  that  parasites,  being  what  they  are,  must  sing  the  old  soothing 
song:  Be  patient,  be  obedient,  resist  not  evil,  all  is  well  with  the 
world,  do  you  not  hear  the  rustling  of  wings?  And  the  vampires 
fan  the  infected  body  with  the  cooling,  noiseless  web  wings  of  a 
bat  until  the  heart  of  the  victim  grows  cold. 

Parasites  on  the  social  body  are  of  special  interest  to  us,  since 
they  in  a  way,  for  themselves,  at  least,  have  solved  the  problem 
of  living  without  labor,  but  let  us  from  the  start  avoid  the  mistake 
of  identifying  parasites  with  the  upper  crust  called  "society."  There 
are  parasites  in  all  strata  of  society,  even  among  the  middle  classes, 
noted  though  they  be  for  thrift  and  industry.  By  close  examina- 
tion, perhaps,  we  should  find  most  of  them  there.  Then  at  the 
bottom,  we  find  hundreds  of  thousands  of  loafers,  hoboes,  tramps. 

Contrary  to  the  parasites,  we  have  the  animals  that  live  on 
the  surplus  energy  of  others.  An  eagle,  for  example,  does  not 
require  dead  bodies  like  the  buzzard,  nor  does  it  devitalize  those 
upon  which  it  preys.  It  kills  and  eats  the  lambs  to  be  sure,  but 
the  sheep's  power  of  reproduction  is  not  disturbed.  And  so  long 
as  the  game  lasts,  the  presence  of  the  eagle  stimulates  it  into  greater 
activity  and  a  richer  life.  Sheep  in  their  turn  live  on  the  surplus 
energy  of  plant  life,  but  do  not  destroy  it. 

Man,  by  nature,  is  not  a  parasite,  and  as  symbols  on  his 
banners,  he  has  instinctively  preferred  animals  and  birds  of  prey. 
These  are  the  royal  banners.  The  priestly  element  seems  to  have 
a  preference  for  the  serpent.  Moses,  it  will  be  remembered,  raised 
up  the  serpent  as  a  symbol. 

The  ancient  astrologers  made  the  ram  the  head  sign  of  the 
zodiac,  and  there  are  many  reasons  why  Utopian  kings  should  re- 


IDLE  THOUGHTS  103 

store  the  ram  to  his  rightful  place  at  the  head  of  the  procession 
and  choose  him  as  their  symbol.  Especially  because  the  ram  is  the 
natural  defender  of  the  lamb. 

Like  some  animals,  a  man  or  a  corporation  of  men,  once 
self-supporting,  may  sink  down  to  a  parasitical  existence,  so  also 
parasites  of  today  may  rise  into  life  and  activities  that  shall  make 
them  independent  of  charity  or  the  necessity  of  living  on  others. 

Capitalism  or  commercialism  acts  as  a  stimulating  influence, 
and  as  such,  must  be  classed  with  animals  and  birds  of  prey.  But 
if  it  takes  advantage  of  a  weakened  condition  of  the  public  at 
large,  or  even  purposely  creates  conditions  calculated  to  devitalize 
people  by  allowing  fear  of  God,  fear  of  hell,  fear  of  panics,  and 
other  unhealthy  influences  to  prey  upon  the  great  majority,  they 
themselves  sink  down  to  the  level  of  the  buzzard  or  simple  parasites. 

Institutions  for  a  higher  education  are  a  stimulating  influence 
for  those  able  to  receive  it,  but  if  it  is  forced  on  people  without  any 
inclination  or  without  any  capacity  for  it,  then  it  is  a  deadening 
influence  for  both  them  and  for  the  community  at  large. 

The  same  can  be  said  of  churches.  They  are  a  beneficial  in- 
fluence to  some,  and  if  confined  to  them  alone,  also  a  benefit  to 
the  social  body  as  a  whole.  But  if  their  more  or  less  ascetic 
moral  ideals  are  imposed  on  a  majority  temperamentally  pre- 
vented from  adopting  them,  the  churches  become  a  depressive, 
deadening  influence,  or  as  we  would  say,  parasitical.  Often,  it 
must  have  occurred  to  many,  that  Christianity  is  but  another  name 
for  another  white  plague.  Both  being  both  the  cause  and  the 
symptom  of  a  lowered  vitality. 

As  a  protest  against  the  gospel  of  self-sacrifice  and  blood 
salvation,  and  the  everlasting  harping  on  hell,  damnation  and  the 
general  wickedness  of  this  world,  there  rose  spontaneously  a  number 
of  cults  who  dared  to  assert  the  I.  Christian  Science  declared  that 
sin,  sickness,  and  generally  speaking,  evil,  was  only  a  delusion  of 
the  mortal  mind.  Evil  had  no  real  existence.  And  many  were 
and  are  healed  by  these  cults. 

But  according  to  our  way  of  looking  at  things,  they,  too,  are 
parasites,  because  what  brought  them  into  existence  and  supports 
them  to  this  day,  is  a  lack  of  health  in  society  or  the  individuals 
of  which  it  is  composed.  Many  leaders  of  these  cults  claim  that 
they  can  also  cure  the  disease  called  poverty,  for  poverty  is  a 
disease,  as  one  of  them  wrote  and  very  aptly  added,  "It  is  certainly 
not  ease."  And  the  truth  of  their  claim  is  proved  by  their  own 
prosperity.    They  have  succeeded  in  making  a  connection  with  the 


104  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

source  of  infinite  supply.  But  in  many  cases,  we  perceive  only 
too  plainly  that  the  source  of  infinite  supply  is  only  human  misery. 
There  is  no  mystery  about  it.  It  is  from  the  same  source  which 
orthodox  churches,  too,  derive  their  main  support.  By  speaking 
words  of  comfort  to  those  who  suffer  and  by  kindling  a  hope  in 
the  heart  of  the  destitute,  they  are  rewarded  not  only  by  the  un- 
fortunate themselves,  but  by  others  who  are  glad  that  such  con- 
solations are  given. 

Utopias  of  course  shall  put  an  end  to  this  infinite  supply,  other- 
wise they  are  not  Utopias.  This,  again,  must  necessarily  diminish 
greatly  the  number  of  those  now  engaged  in  cheering  up  and  serving 
the  devitalized,  but  not  by  any  means  destroy  them  utterly.  But 
in  Utopia  this  class  would  be  the  result  or  outgrowth  of  a  surplus 
energy,  a  sort  of  luxury.  And  members  of  that  class  might  be 
cultivated  and  kept  in  the  same  spirit  that  we  keep  pet  animals, 
because  we  love  them,  or  for  the  amusement  they  give  us,  or 
merely  for  their  winning  ways,  their  fine  plumage,  etc. 

Shall  we  then  have  parasites  in  the  Utopias?  It  can  hardly 
be  prevented.  It  is  often  impossible  to  tell  who  is  who.  Many  a 
busy-body,  in  spite  of  his  activity,  does  more  harm  than  good,  while 
the  mere  presence  of  another,  apparently  idle  may  be  of  great 
value  to  a  community.  In  the  Utopias  it  is  personality  that  counts. 
My  character,  what  I  am,  not  what  I  do  or  am  capable  of  doing. 
Ideal  communities  depend  on  ideal  men,  that  is,  ideal  for  that  com- 
munity. 

Dreamers  of  dreams  are  greatly  handicapped  in  the  struggle 
for  existence.  In  extreme  cases,  they  are  incapacitated  from  making 
a  livelihood.  Their  dreams  prey  upon  their  minds  like  parasites 
from  a  spiritual  world,  and  they  are,  therefore,  more  to  be  pitied 
than  to  be  blamed.  And  they  are  not  always  worthless  and,  there- 
fore, worth  saving.  A  dreamer  who  has  invented  a  labor-saving 
device  has  brought  forth  a  serving  spirit  that  shall  help  feed  and 
clothe  a  multitude.  And  one  who  has  made  a  song  and  given  it 
the  wings  of  a  beautful  melody  has  created  an  angel  that  shall  give 
joy  and  consolation  to  wounded  hearts  in  every  clime. 

POPULATION 

Another  difficulty  confronts  us  by  the  fact  that  we  have  com- 
pletely mastered  the  animal  kingdom.  For  we  cannot  alter  the 
fact  that  physically  we  developed  as  animals,  and  during  that  time, 
man,  in  common  with  the  rest,  had  the  inclination  and  ability  to 
reproduce  his  kind  to  the  extent  that  would  make  up  for  the  loss 


IDLE  THOUGHTS  105 

of  life  caused  by  the  animals  preying  upon  him.  Overcoming  his 
enemies  did  not  eradicate  his  tendencies  to  increase  his  kind  at  the 
same  rate  as  before,  but  as  we  cannot  ignore  and  have  not  ignored 
the  consequences  following  this  altered  situation,  men  have,  from 
the  beginning  and  up  until  now,  willfully  and  deliberately  limited 
the  increase  of  the  population. 

The  importation  of  rabbits  into  Australia  has  often  been  quoted 
as  an  example  of  what  follows  when  a  given  order  of  things  is 
altered.  The  natural  enemies  of  that  specie,  there  being  absent,  the 
rabbits  grew  so  numerous  that  they  became  a  pest.  Man,  by  over- 
coming his  natural  enemies,  is  put  in  exactly  the  same  position. 

We  of  today,  contrary  to  nature,  care  nothing  for  varieties 
or  for  the  exceptional.  We  care  nothing  for  Christ,  still  less  for 
kings,  and  little  for  great  men  generally.  We  favor  the  increase 
of  one  class  only,  the  laboring  class.  So  intense  is  our  desire  for  a 
population  of  that  kind,  that  we  cannot  wait  for  its  natural  in- 
crease within  our  borders.  During  slave  times,  we  hunted  all  over 
Africa  for  cheap  labor,  and  no  sooner  was  this  traffic  stopped,  be- 
fore, almost  instinctively,  the  policy  of  a  high  protective  tariff 
was  adopted,  and  the  slight  increase  of  wages  which  this  policy  ad- 
mitted stimulated  immigration,  and  the  desire  for  an  abundance  of 
labor  was  satisfied,  for  there  was  no  tariff  on  immigrants. 

Now  this  is  nothing  new.  It  is  the  same  everlasting  round, 
repeated  over  and  over  in  Greece,  in  Rome  and  elsewhere.  The 
upper  classes  die  out  and  individuals  from  the  lower  classes  take 
their  place.  And  there  is  no  reason  why  this  should  not  continue. 
Labor  is  cheap  only  because  it  is  abundant,  not  because  the  in- 
dividuals composing  it  are  unable  to  fill  the  places  now  occupied 
by  other  men.  And  there  are  no  reasons  why  civilizations  should  not 
pass  away,  only  that  we  as  Utopians  want  it  our  own  way.  Will 
that  we  shall  get  out  of  that  rut,  and  our  success  shall  depend  on 
the  intensity  of  our  will  and  the  strength  of  the  will  of  our  op- 
ponents, rather  than  on  our  reasons.  We  can  always  find  reason 
for  doing  what  we  want  to  do. 

Our  will  to  do  away  with  the  laboring  class  necessarily  implies 
tlie  doing  away  with  a  class  dependent  on  it.  Our  interest  in  the 
class  struggle  is  at  an  end.  Our  interest  is  centered  in  this :  What 
shall  the  Utopians  be  like?  They  need  to  be  dift'erent  from  one 
another  since  we  need  dift'erent  Utopias,  and  consequently,  different 
kinds  of  people  and  it  is  against  our  interest  that  they  should  be 
the  descendants  of  one  class  or  one  race. 

Marriage  freed  from  any  consideration  but  mutual  attraction 


106  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

shall  be  most  apt  to  bring  forth  desirable  children,  children  that 
are  able  to  meet  all  conditions  and  eternally  perpetuate  the  human 
race  on  earth.  But  it  takes  all  kinds  of  people  to  do  that,  and  the 
problem  is  to  find  an  artificial  mode  of  selection  true  to  the  natural 
order.  But  the  desire  for  and  the  dependence  on  the  laboring 
class,  prevents  anything  rational  being  done  in  this  matter.  I  be- 
lieve there  is  a  law  against  it.  Sufficient  to  know,  however,  that 
in  the  long  run  we  get  what  we  want.  If  we  want  Utopians,  we 
shall  get  Utopians,  whatever  that  may  be,  for  it  does  not  yet  appear 
what  we  shall  be. 

We  have  the  power  and  the  freedom  and  all  the  time  and 
all  eternity,  to  make  out  of  ourselves  here  on  earth,  whatever  we 
want. 

Without  recommending  any,  we  shall  briefly  enumerate  the 
principal  modes  of  artificial  limitation  of  the  population,  which 
some  time  or  other  have  been  in  vogue  from  the  time  of  savagery 
up  until  now. 

Greeks,  Romans,  Scandinavians,  etc.,  in  their  state  of  bar- 
barism, limited  the  population  within  the  means  of  subsistence 
mostly,  by  putting  the  babies  not  wanted  out  in  the  woods  to  be 
consumed  by  wild  animals.  The  Spartans  tested  also  the  strength 
or  vitality  of  the  new-born  and  the  weaker  ones  were  put  to  death. 
We  are  not  familiar  with  this  method,  therefore,  it  seems  inhuman 
to  us,  but  to  anyone  not  prejudiced  in  favor  of  cheap  labor  at 
any  price,  or  the  exploitation  of  children  in  fields  or  factories,  the 
barbaric  method  of  doing  away  with  young  children,  suffers  nothing 
in  comparison.  In  fact,  the  modern  method  is  more  cruel,  besides 
that  it  is  cowardly,  hypocritical  and  contemptible. 

The  worshippers  of  Moloch  threw  their  first  born  into  the  em- 
brace of  a  burning  idol,  which  method  must  also  be  classed  as 
barbaric  though  equally  efficient.  And  let  us  remark  in  passing, 
if  there  be  any  truth  in  the  theory  that  the  first-born  are  deficient, 
as  a  rule,  this  custom  made  for  the  betterment  of  the  race,  and, 
further,  that  to  connect  this  method  of  limiting  the  population  with 
an  act  of  worship,  shows  kindness  rather  than  cruelty. 

Abortions  have  been  practiced  from  ancient  times  until  now, 
and  it  is  in  no  way  an  improvement  on  the  barbaric  method.  It 
is  apt  to  be  more  injurious  to  the  mother,  and  gives  no  opportunity 
to  any  selection  of  a  better  class  of  babies,  and  therefore,  detrimental 
to  the  improvement  of  the  race.  The  most  prevalent  mode  today, 
however,  is  the  prevention  of  conception.  The  most  common  mode 
in  this  practice  is  to  abstain  from  intercourse  with  the  prospective 


IDLE  THOUGHTS  107 

mother  during  her  most  vigorous  period.  The  result  is  that  what 
babies  we  get,  as  a  rule,  are  accidental  and  conceived  at  the  least 
favorable  time  and  tends  towards  a  devitalizing  of  humanity. 

In  this  connection,  we  shall  mention  that  our  civil  laws  and 
the  moral  teachings  of  the  prevailing  religious  system,  the  Jewish- 
Christian,  not  only  stamp  any  artificial  limitation  of  the  population 
as  a  crime  and  a  sin,  but  commend  the  increase  of  population. 
But  this  attitude  of  the  civil  authorities  and  Rabbi  and  priest  does 
not  prevent  this  crime  or  sin,  but  as  the  lower  classes  and  the 
least  enlightened,  are  more  under  the  influence  of  religion  than 
the  more  intellectual,  it  follows  that  the  upper  classes  persistently 
commits  suicide.  But  they  got  what  they  wanted  most,  servants 
and  cheap  labor,  if  death  overtakes  them  before  they  leave  any 
descendants,  we  must  admit  they  get  what  they  deserve,  and  no 
one  shall  mourn  them. 

The  only  mode  of  limitation  of  the  increase  of  population 
we  could  recommend  to  Utopians  would  be  a  modified  moral  code, 
emphasizing  the  beneficence  of  an  ascetic  life  for  a  certain  class  of 
people.  Since  the  only  class  of  people  to  whom  this  kind  of  life 
appeals  are  those  who  are  absorbed  in  work  or  play,  be  it  physical, 
intellectual  or  artistic,  and  since  this  class  is  pre-eminently  fitted  for 
Utopias,  it  is  for  Utopians  of  the  utmost  importance,  that  this  class, 
though  ascetically  inclined,  shall  propagate  their  kind,  in  short, 
be  favored  as  fathers. 

The  celibate  priesthood  of  the  Catholic  church  here  comes  to 
our  mind,  and  as  this  institution  acts  as  a  limitation  of  the  popula- 
tion by  the  practice  of  an  ascetic  moral  code  by  a  certain  class,  the 
priests  of  that  church,  it  is  worth  while  to  dwell  for  a  moment  on 
what  its  effects  must  be  on  the  human  race  where  it  is  in  operation. 
We  shall  assume,  to  begin  with,  that  the  boys  selected  for  the 
priestly  career,  as  a  rule,  constitute  the  finest,  the  most  idealistic, 
or  naturaly  the  most  spiritually  minded  element  of  the  youths. 
These,  then,  are  sacrificed  in  order  that  the  poor  in  spirit  shall 
live.  Assuming  again  that  the  priesthood  represents  the  better 
class,  let  the  priests  be  the  real  fathers,  and  not  the  fathers  in 
name  only,  and  let  the  poor  in  spirit  assume  the  role  of  St.  Joseph, 
the  foster  father  of  Jesus  and  we  would  have  a  system  favorable 
to  the  spiritualization  of  the  race. 

Such  an  arrangement  would  not  seriously  interfere  with  the 
practicing  of  an  ascetic  moral  code  by  a  presumably  superior 
class,  nor  with  the  pleasures  of  love  by  those  less  spiritually  in- 
clined, but  this  is  Utopian  in  the  sense  that  it  is  impossible  to  believe 
that  men  in  our  days  would  stand  for  this.     Still  such  a  practice 


108  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

is  not  without  precedent.  In  fuedal  times,  the  barons  claimed 
as  a  right,  the  first  night  with  the  bride  of  their  dependents  and 
that  they  also  claimed  other  nights  we  may  safely  assume.  The 
barons  had  the  might  and  the  others  had  to  submit.  Assuming 
again  that  the  barons  represented  the  better,  the  most  vigorous 
class,  or  at  least,  the  physically  most  vigorous  class,  this  custom 
could  not  help  but  tend  toward  the  improvement  of  the  race. 
And  it  would  not,  as  we  might  at  first  suppose,  create  an  antagonism 
between  the  upper  and  lower  classes.  On  the  contrary,  it  would 
bind  them  together  with  the  strongest  of  all  ties,  the  bonds  of  blood. 

But  here  it  is  that  the  sword  in  the  hands  of  the  baron  proved 
itself  stronger  than  anything  we  can  expect  from  the  gentle  art  of 
persuasion.  Even  the  religious  force,  though  skillfully  handled, 
we  would  expect  to  be  powerless,  though  we  have  in  the  Bible  a 
supreme  argument  in  its  favor,  for  strange  to  say,  a  triangular 
marriage  is  exemplified  by  the  holy  family  and  sanctified  by  the 
conduct  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Any  artificial  limitation  of  the  increase  of  population  is  more 
or  less  repulsive  and  there  is  a  possibility  that  it  shall  decrease 
naturally  to  a  desirable  quantity  when  the  artificial  stimulations  of 
its  growth,  created  by  our  desire  for  servants  is  removed. 

Anger,  and  especially  fear,  stimulates  our  imagination.  In  the 
midnight  near  graveyards  and  ruins,  the  children  of  our  fancy  come 
forth  spontaneously.  Ghosts  and  goblins  increase  in  number  in 
proportion  to  the  intensity  of  our  fear,  and  the  same  law  is  dis- 
cernible in  regard  to  the  increase  of  physical  beings.  Animals  that 
are  preyed  upon  are  the  most  prolific.  The  fear  of  the  rabbit  is 
proverbial,  and  so  is  its  power  of  reproduction.  So  also  the 
laboring  classes  are  subject  to  many  fears.  The  fear  of  panics,  the 
fear  of  the  future,  and  what  is  more  to  the  point,  the  fear  of  getting 
more  children.  And  it  seems  that  this  very  fear  begets  them. 
On  the  other  hand,  animals  of  prey  have  fewer  young  ones,  like- 
wise people  who  are  above  the  fear  of  want,  and  the  fear  of  getting 
children.  Sometimes  they  w^ant  them  in  vain.  All  of  which  indicates 
that  there  is  a  close  relationship  between  fear  and  fecundity. 

LOVE  AFFAIRS 

It  appears  that  sex  is  a  means  of  adaptation.  The  males, 
having  more  leisure,  can  venture  far  and  wade  into  strange  fields 
and  meet  with  all  kinds  of  adventures,  and  if  many  of  them  go 
under,  it  does  not  matter  so  much.  But  it  is  essential  that  they 
get  acquainted  with  things  as  they  are,  gain  experience  and  acquire 


IDLE  THOUGHTS  109 

skill  and  power  to  master  forces  that  be.  To  the  degree,  this 
mastery  becomes  instinctive  and  is  transmitted  to  the  offspring,  it 
shall  be  a  trifle  less  difficult  for  the  specie  to  meet  the  ever-changing 
conditions  of  life. 

There  always  has  been,  and  is  today,  a  large  class  of  men 
perfectly  adjusted  to  things  as  they  are,  perfectly  satisfied  with 
our  marriage  system  and  our  social  order,  our  mode  of  making  a 
living  and  our  religious  ideals.  They,  who  by  character  and  tem- 
perament, belong  to  a  more  primitive  state  of  affairs,  are  some- 
times classed  as  criminals,  while  those  who  presumably  might  be 
better  fit  for  a  more  complex  or  higher  state  of  affairs  in  some 
cases,  must  be  classed  as  inefficients  or  failures.  It  seems  that  life 
is  prepared  to  meet  any  emergency.  Should  we  fail  to  adjust  our- 
selves to  a  higher  condition  and  revert  into  barbary,  we  are  sup- 
plied with  enough  barbarians  to  maintain  the  race  under  that  con- 
dition, and  should  a  new  and  unknown  order  of  association  come 
into  existence,  there  are  individuals  fit  for  that  order  also. 

The  most  desirable  fathers  would  be  those  who  happen  to  be 
best  fitted  for  a  time  to  come,  a  time,  the  condition  of  which  we 
cannot  know.  Consequently,  it  is  contrary  to  the  law  of  life  to 
artificially  favor  any  class  of  individuals.  By  selecting  any  of  the 
existing  types,  and  cultivating  them  exclusively,  or  prescribing 
beforehand,  who  shall  enter  into  life,  we  may  close  the  door  for  a 
coming  Christ  whom  we  do  not  know  and  of  whose  excellencies 
we  cannot  have  a  correct  knowledge,  until  he  is  revealed  to  us  in 
the  flesh. 

The  breeding  and  cultivation  of  animals  and  plants  for  special 
purposes  does  not  in  all  cases  and  in  all  respects  bring  about  an 
improvement  on  the  original  stock,  and  when  we  consider  the 
animals  that  cannot  be  tamed  or  domesticated  but  are  held  in 
captivity  in  zoological  gardens,  it  is  evident  that  they  have  de- 
generated. With  greater  success,  is  the  cultivation  of  the  vegetable 
kingdom  carried  on,  from  flower  beds  to  landscape  gardens,  but 
although  the  effect  produced  is  pleasing  to  man  and  not  detrimental 
to  the  health  and  beauty  of  the  trees  and  plants,  neither  can  this 
be  classed  as  an  improvement.  Trees  and  plants  flourish  in  a  wild 
state,  and  the  wilderness  has  a  mysterious  charm,  often  lacking  in  a 
park. 

In  a  work  on  occultism,  the  author  of  the  same  enlarged  on 
the  improvement  brought  about  by  culture  and  civilization  and 
cited  as  an  example  of  what  good  care  and  gentle  treatment  can 
do,  the  case  of  the  Jersey  cow.  How  gentle  the  expression  in  her 
face  had   become,   and  how  docile  and  pliable  she  was  in   com- 


110  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

parison  with  other  breeds.  But  occultism  has  this  in  common  with 
other  cults,  that  it  seeks  to  find  a  way  to  milk  the  Jersey  cow,  and 
we  ought  not  to  allow  the  love  of  milk  to  distort  our  judgment  in 
this  matter.  I  have  never  seen  a  wild  cow,  but  imagine  her  move- 
ments to  be  more  graceful  and  the  expression  in  her  face  to  be 
more,  let  us  say  "Spirituelle,"  more  like  that  of  a  calf,  for  it  is 
true  what  a  poet  once  observed,  that  there  is  an  expression  of 
wide-awakeness,  or  spirituality  in  the  face  of  a  young  calf.  What 
is  the  life  of  an  animal  bereft  of  its  freedom  and  the  joy  of  mating 
and  making  a  living?  It  is  the  life  of  a  parasite  and  a  degenerate. 
What  saves  the  parasites  in  the  human  society,  is  that  they  find 
substitutes  for  the  natural  enjoyments,  hunting,  fishing,  sowing  and 
gathering  into  storehouses,  spinning,  weaving,  building,  etc.,  in 
sport,  gambling,  etc.  When  our  mode  of  making  a  living  is  not 
interesting,  and  we  have  neither  the  means  or  the  inclinations  for 
sport  and  fads,  we  degenerate.  We  are  blotted  out  of  the  book  of 
life  and  may  just  as  well  be  dead. 

That  civilized  man  is  any  improvement  on  the  savage  and  bar- 
barian, has  also  been  doubted,  and  when  we  consider  the  slums  of 
the  great  cities,  we  are  inclined  to  believe  there  are  some  reasons 
for  that  doubt,  the  smell  of  them  or  in  them,  is  the  same  as  that  in 
the  zoo. 

We  should  despair  of  civilization  and  the  blessings  of  culture, 
were  it  not  for  the  life  at  court.  Here  everything  is  lovely  and 
magnificent.  The  castle  itself  is  grand,  the  furniture,  the  carpets 
and  curtains,  statues  and  paintings,  everything  combined  convinces 
us  that  this  is  an  improvement  on  the  natural  order.  And  the 
people  at  court  move  about  with  the  freedom  and  grace  of  wild 
animals  clothed  in  many  colored  garments  of  silk  and  velvet.  Such 
is  life  at  court,  at  least  as  we  know  it  or  as  it  is  pictured  in  the 
movie  theatres. 

To  sustain  the  life  at  the  court  and  give  it  proper  atmosphere, 
artists  are  needed,  poets,  philosophers,  artisans,  etc.  This  being  the 
case,  the  importance  of  propagating  or  breeding  a  sufficient  number 
of  that  class,  presses  itself  upon  us.  But  this  problem  presents 
peculiar  difficulities,  since  the  members  of  that  freedom-loving  tribe 
cannot  be  fully  domesticated,  and  as  husbands  and  fathers  are  apt 
to  be  utter  failures.  The  courts,  however,  have  greater  oppor- 
tunities for  romances  and  is  richer  in  possibilities  for  a  satisfactory 
solution  of  this  problem  than  any  similar  institution  today,  since 
it  offers  a  home  for  their  descendants  and  possible  heirs  to  their 
genius. 

In   medieval   times,   wandering   knights,   minstrels,   poets  and 


IDLE  THOUGHTS  111 

strolling  players  were  welcome  to  the  courts  and  a  kindred  class, 
the  artisans,  during  that  time,  went  from  place  to  place,  building 
and  adorning  castles  and  cathedrals.  Utopianism  shall  give  the 
class  in  question  similar  opportunities  to  show  their  genius  and 
skill,  and  besides  that,  to  satisfy  their  wanderlust,  their  craving  for 
romances  and  thrilling  experiences.  And  not  the  work  of  their 
genius,  like  statutes  and  marble  halls,  alone  shall  live  after  them, 
but  living  monuments  moved  by  the  same  spirit,  that  made  their 
fathers  choose  a  life  of  love  and  adventure. 

Of  what  account  is  this  class  today?  Absorbed  as  we  are  in 
scientific  and  industrial  pursuits,  the  answer  to  that  question  is 
apt  to  be :  it  is  of  no  account.  But  all  these  to  whom  dreams  are 
more  real  and  of  more  importance  than  business,  verily  of  such  is 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  made.  In  their  imagination  it  is ;  in  them 
it  changes ;  with  them  it  appears,  and  with  them  it  passes  away. 

We  have  observed  that  many  children  richly  endowed  by 
nature  died  young  and  wondered  why.  They  started  out  full  of 
life  and  joy.  Their  laughter,  mingled  with  tears,  thrilled  us.  Their 
voices,  their  movements  were  like  music,  their  mere  presence  electri- 
fying, but  at  the  age  of  puberty,  they  broke  down  and  died,  while 
the  dull  and  unimaginative  survived  to  propagate  their  kind.  It 
seems  that  under  the  present  dispensation,  we  are  in  the  clutches 
of  an  evil  power,  a  jealous  god  who  wills  the  corruption  and  the 
destruction  of  the  fairest  specimens  of  humanity  in  favor  of  the 
poor  in  spirit.  Now  it  is  all  good  and  well  that  the  poor  in  spirit 
shall  be  taken  care  of,  but  blessed  shall  they  be  who  take  thought 
of  the  needs  of  the  rich  in  spirit  also  for  among  them  gods  shall 
grow  up  and  reach  maturity. 

Speaking  of  love  affairs,  a  little  boy  said  to  me  once,  "If  my 
mother  knew  that  I  know  what  I  know,  she  would  give  me  a  lick- 
ing." And  then  he  laughed.  How  can  any  intelligent  child  help 
but  gain  the  legitimate  or  natural  knowledge  about  love.  They 
learn  it  in  the  garden  chasing  butterflies,  and  in  the  fields  from 
grasshoppers,  but  by  this  knowledge  the  children  are  not  bereft  of 
their  innocence.  Now  it  is  proposed  that  children  shall,  at  the 
proper  age,  just  previous  to  the  age  of  puberty,  be  instructed 
in  matters  pertaining  to  sex,  to  save  them  from  the  vices  prev- 
alent in  connection  with  that  function.  But  how  can  we  teach  a 
child  or  anyone  to  avoid  a  vice  without  first  informing  it  about  the 
nature  of  that  vice  of  which  it  perhaps  was  better  that  it  was 
kept  ignorant. 

For  people,  as  a  rule,  and  young  folks  especially,  look  not  so 
much  for  more  information  in  these  matters  as  for  an  opportunity 


112  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

to  practice  what  they  already  know.  And  what  do  they  not  know? 
We  can't  teach  them  anything.  Newspapers  are  full  of  scandals, 
magazines  are  full  of  love  stories,  and  in  the  movie  theatre  every- 
thing is  visualized  until  the  air  is  heavy  with  heart  interest — they 
call  it  heart  interest.    How  then  can  they  help  but  know? 

But  neither  shall  that  knowledge  take  away  our  innocence. 
To  the  pure,  everything  is  pure,  but  with  an  atmosphere  charged 
with  love  or  sexuality,  the  chances  are  that  we  shall  be  contam- 
inated. And  what  can  the  parents  do  to  prevent  it?  Children 
resent  the  idea  of  sexuality  in  connection  with  their  parents.  They 
prefer  to  ignore  it.  And  there  is  no  reason  why  these  matters 
should  not  be  ignored  between  near  related  persons. 

If  we  suppose  a  boy  absolutely  ignorant  of  sexual  matters,  all 
the  information  needed  on  this  subject  including  the  knowledge 
of  vices  and  perversions,  and  the  reasons  why  they  should  be 
avoided  since  they  necessarily  are  injurious,  could  be  given  that 
boy  in  less  than  fifteen  minutes  and  could  be  better  given  con- 
fidentially by  a  friend  than  by  parents  or  teachers.  Now  it  is 
proposed  that  this  knowledge  should  be  taught  in  the  public  schools, 
but  that  shall  only  tend  to  advertise  vices  and  the  traffic  in  sex. 
Publicity  boosts  any  business.  If  this  is  not  our  aim,  it  does  not 
pay  to  advertise.  There  is  nothing  to  the  sexual  desires  naturally 
expressed.  But  given  the  attractiveness  of  the  forbidden  fruit,  and 
the  allurements  of  a  sin  it  is  stimulated  beyond  control.  Every- 
thing is  done  to  excite  the  passions,  and  everything  is  done  to  pre- 
vent their  gratification.  Sexually  starving,  starving  in  the  midst 
of  plenty,  as  they  say — many  naturally  go  astray.  And  our  social 
atmosphere  has  to  be  changed  if  the  so-called  social  evil  shall  pass 
away. 

The  crimes  committed  in  the  name  of  love,  can,  in  most  cases 
be  traced  to  the  idea  of  ownership.  This  idea  is  not  absent  in  the 
animal  kingdom,  but  is,  as  a  rule,  limited  to  the  mating  season, 
and  marriage  confined  to  that  season  alone,  we  should  call  a  natural 
or  instinctive  marriage.  An  extension  of  this  idea  and  the  different 
marriage  systems  and  moral  codes  invented,  are  a  more  or  less 
successful  attempt  at  an  intelligent  control  of  the  love  forces.  If 
evil  results  follow,  they  must  be  ascribed  to  an  ignorance  or  lack 
of  courage  to  act  intelligently,  and  not  to  an  inherent  evil  in  our 
instincts.  Animals  are  safely  guided  by  instincts,  but  our  instincts 
are  stimulated  by  knowledge  and  intensified  by  imagination,  and 
unless  they  are  guided  intelligently  by  a  strong  will,  are  apt  to  lead 
us  astray. 


IDLE  THOUGHTS  113 

Birds  manage  their  love  affairs  most  beautifully.  In  the  spring- 
time they  mate  and  build  their  nest,  and  a  birdnest  is  beautiful  in 
the  spring  time.  Boys  will  climb  the  tall  trees  to  get  a  glimpse 
at  the  sky  blue  eggs.  After  the  young  ones  have  grown  up,  the 
family  tie  is  broken  and  the  birds  gather  in  great  flocks,  and  no 
one  cares  to  look  at  a  bird  nest  in  the  fall.  So  a  human  home  is 
attractive  with  children  in  it  and  dreary  when  they  are  gone.  If 
we  had  a  large  and  permanent  home  accommodating  us  as  a  flock, 
and  smaller  ones  for  temporary  romances  and  marriages,  we 
would  have  a  similar  arrangement  of  our  love  affairs. 

But  we  have  not  succeeded  in  solving  the  marriage  question 
so  far,  and  the  result  is,  that  we  can  hardly  pick  up  a  newspaper 
without  reading  that  some  people  have  killed  each  other  for  love 
or  have  taken  carbolic  acid  for  love,  or  outraged  themselves  and 
others  in  a  similar  way,  all  for  love. 

Accidents  of  course  will  happen,  no  matter  how  perfect  our 
love  affairs  shall  be  arranged.  Accidents  will  happen  even  in  nature. 
We  are  all  familiar  with  the  story  of  the  two  stags  that  got  their 
antlers  entangled  and  could  not  get  apart.  So  they  struggled  on 
and  on,  vainly  trying  to  get  loose,  with  hatred  in  their  eyes,  each 
blaming  the  other  for  its  horrible  fate,  while  life  around  them 
bloomed  in  freedom  and  joy. 

This  is  also  the  story  of  an  unhappy  marriage,  and  it  is  nothing 
but  cruelty  to  tell  the  entangled  that  they  must  stick  together  till 
death  do  them  part.  It  is  more  than  cruel,  it  is  fiendish,  even  if 
it  is  claimed  that  this  sacrifice  must  be  made  in  the  interest  of  the 
community. 

Were  it  not  a  work  of  angels  to  loose  the  chains  that  bind  the 
mismated,  and  is  not  society  more  safe  for  every  cause  of  dis- 
harmony removed,  for  every  discord  stilled? 

An  unhappy  marriage  is  an  accident.  So  is  a  social  order  or 
moral  code  that  requires  that  anyone  must  be  unhappy  an  accident. 

To  carry  on  the  marriage  relation  happily  and  successfully 
for  any  length  of  time  is  almost  impossible,  since  men  and  women 
change  as  they  grow  older. 

Some  insects,  the  scientists  tell  us,  in  the  first  stage  of  ma- 
turity are  males  and  function  as  males.  Then  a  change  takes  place 
and  they  are  transformed  into  females  and  perform  the  functions 
of  the  female.  Something  like  this  seems  to  take  place  with  most 
men  and  women.  In  their  youth  they  are  intensely  male  or  female, 
then  a  change  takes  place,  and  they  acquire  some  of  the  char- 
acteristics of  the  opposite  sex.  This  changes  in  many  cases,  must 
prove  disastrous  to  a  permanent  marriage. 


114  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

Man  in  his  youth  and  early  manhood,  in  the  period  when 
he  is  most  male,  will  show  a  disposition  to  possess  woman.  He  is 
apt  to  be  jealous  and  on  that  account  will  treat  his  wife  cruelly. 
His  disposition  is  that  of  a  master  and  he  likes  to  hear  his  wife 
beg  him  for  money  in  a  whining  voice,  for  then  he  most  keenly 
realizes  her  dependence  upon  him. 

But  as  he  grows  older  this  disposition  is  tempered,  and  if  he 
by  neglect,  cruelty  or  coldness  has  killed  or  driven  to  divorce  the 
bride  of  his  youth  and  marries  another,  then  he  will  lavish  on  her 
his  fortune  and  the  wealth  of  his  affection.  A  similar  transition 
takes  place  in  the  female.  In  her  youth,  dominated  by  her 
femininity,  she  will  take  a  delight  in  an  absolute  surrender  to  her 
husband,  a  surrender  that  often  awakens  the  tyrant  in  him,  but 
after  a  while  she  grows  more  masculine  and  if  she  becomes  a  widow 
and  marries  again,  the  chances  are  that  she  will  make  her  second 
husband  a  miserable  henpeck. 

But  even  to  start  with,  a  happy  marriage,  in  most  cases,  must 
be  considered  a  happy  accident.  Otto  Weininger  in  his  work  "Sex 
and  Character"  has  conclusively  shown  that  the  degree  of  male 
and  female,  in  our  make  up  is  not  restricted  to  the  purely  sexual 
function,  but  its  influence  determines  our  whole  character.  Con- 
sequently it  is  next  to  impossible  that  an  even  balancing  of  two 
individuals  shall  be  perfect,  in  all  respect.  It  is  here  that  the 
incompatibility  of  temperaments  comes  in. 

According  to  Weininger,  there  is  no  absolute  man  and  no 
absolute  woman.  In  woman  there  is  more  or  less  of  the  male  ele- 
ment, and  in  man  more  or  less  of  the  female.  If  these  elements 
are  almost  evenly  present  in  an  individual,  we  have  the  Herma- 
phrodite, or  the  man-woman  type  of  humanity.  This  type  is  held 
in  abhorrence  by  some  people,  but  Weininger  in  common  with  some 
ancient  philosophers  is  inclined  to  consider  it  a  superior  type. 
Hence,  Hermaphrodites  deserve  our  consideration. 

Weininger  says  of  the  absolute  woman,  that  she  is  nothing  but 
sexuality,  that  she  has  no  love  for  truth,  that  she  has  no  moral 
sense,  she  is  non-moral.  And  she  has  no  soul  and  no  desire  for 
immortality.  Now  we  shall  have  nothing  to  say  against  that,  but 
in  fairness  and  in  truth  and  in  justice,  we  must  say  that  neither 
has  an  absolute  man  any  soul  or  any  morals  as  regards  to  in- 
tellectual honesty,  neither  do  the  absolute  male  care  for  the  im- 
mortality of  the  soul.  That  Weininger  did  not  become  aware  of 
this,  is  in  our  opinion  a  defect  in  his  otherwise  excellent  work. 

Then,  an  absolute  man  and  an  absolute  woman  would  be  alike 
in  this,  that  they  are  absolutely  dishonest,  having  no  knowledge  or 
love  for  the  truth,  and,  therefore,  non-moral  and  having  no  longing 


IDLE  THOUGHTS  115 

for  immortality.  There  would  be  only  this  fundamental  difference 
between  the  two  types:  The  absolute  man  would  be  a  man  of 
action  and  the  absolute  woman  would  be  a  woman  of  indolence. 
But  since  we  are  all  of  us  more  or  less  bi-sexual,  there  are  no  men 
absolutely  active  and  no  woman  absolutely  indolent.  In  the  estima- 
tion of  Weininger  the  man  of  action,  be  it  as  a  general  or  a  poli- 
tician, or  scientist,  even,  is  inferior  to  the  man  of  genius.  But  then 
it  is  hardly  correct  to  say,  as  he  does,  that  genius  is  the  highest  type 
of  masculinity.  Genius  as  the  highest  type  of  man,  must,  it  seems 
to  me,  be  bi-sexual,  that  is,  neither  excessively  male  or  female,  but 
a  hermaphrodite. 

It  has  indeed  been  said  that  all  genius  is  hermaphroditic.  It 
must  necessarily  be  so  since  only  the  presence  of  the  male  and 
female  element  in  the  same  individual  can  awaken  the  creative 
activity  that  gives  birth  to  children  of  the  brains,  and  the  longing 
for  and  the  consciousness  of  immortality.  Necessarily,  also,  this 
is  a  higher  type  than  mere  male  and  female  type,  who,  because 
they  are  dominated  by  only  one  element  have  no  longing  for 
immortality  beyond  that  which  we  have  in  common  with  animals, 
namely,  of  propagating  our  kind  on  the  physicial  plan.  Higher, 
too,  because  they  are  a  more  perfect  image  of  the  creator  of  all 
things  in  whom  both  the  male  and  female  element  necessarily  must 
be  present. 

This  view,  it  will  be  observed,  agrees  with  that  of  Plato,  and 
as  it  is  expressed  in  the  "Symposium"  by  Socrates  in  his  panegyric 
of  love.  Plato,  himself,  undoubtedly  belongs  to  tliis,  the  higher  type. 
Nietzsche  quotes  Plato  as  having  said  that  if  there  had  not  been  so 
many  beautiful  youths  in  Athens,  there  would  have  been  no 
Platonic  philosophy.  This,  in  Nietzsche's  opinion,  one  must  be  a 
Greek  in  order  to  understand,  well — or  men  of  genius.  And  as 
we  all  are  geniuses  to  some  little  extent,  we  can  understand  that  be- 
ing influenced  to  a  certain  extent  by  the  female  element  in  us,  we 
shall  to  that  extent  be  susceptible  to  the  peculiar  charms  of  boys 
and  youths.  In  Greek,  this  cast  of  mind  seems  to  have  been 
common  and  gave  birth  to  an  idealizing  and  worshipping  of  male 
beauty,  and  this  because  they  must  have  been  more  markedly  bi- 
sexual than  we  are  as  a  rule. 

Hermaphroditism,  however,  is  not  confined  to  that  time  and 
place.  Shakespeare  wrote  his  sonnets  inspired  by  a  beautiful  boy, 
did  he  not?  And  we  may  go  further  and  infer  that  if  there  had 
not  been  so  many  beautiful  boys  playing  the  female  roles  in  the 
Globe  theatre,  there  would  have  been  no  Shakespearean  plays.  A 
further  indication  that  genius  is  associated  with  Hermaphroditism 


116  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

is  furnished  by  this,  that  men  of  genius,  if  they  marry  at  all, 
(and  they  generally  do  not  marry)  often  make  a  failure  of  it. 
Socrates  neglected  his  Zantippe  for  philosophy.  Shakespeare  his 
wife  for  his  plays.    And  so  it  goes. 

MOTHERHOOD 

The  birth  of  a  child  is  a  mystery,  the  mystery  of  immortality. 
And  a  sense  of  immortality  steals  into  the  heart  of  lovers.  Sooner 
or  later  a  child  that  was  not  there  before  shall  stand  before  them, 
and  looking  at  its  parents  with  questioning  eyes,  serious,  mis- 
chievous, full  of  fun.  This  is  like  a  miracle,  and  if  we  know  ab- 
solutely nothing  whatever  about  the  process  whereby  the  child  is 
made  visible,  and  someone  told  us  how  it  happened,  we  would  not 
believe  it.  And  our  first  parents  to  begin  with  knew  nothing. 
Naturally  woman  was  the  first  to  acquire  knowledge.  Motherhood 
was  the  painful  awakening  to  that  state.  She  protected  her  children 
as  her  property  and  enslaved  them.  Because  of  their  love  of  their 
mothers  and  other  women,  men  were  enslaved  and  we  had  the 
matriarchate  or  the  rule  of  the  mother.  At  last  the  sons  having 
acquired  knowledge,  rebelled  and  overthrew  the  rule  of  mothers  and 
in  turn  enslaved  woman.  But  still  it  lingers  in  the  heart  of  woman, 
a  longing  to  enslave  men — a  longing  like  that  of  our  longing  for  a 
paradise  lost.  And  women  to  this  day  love  to  watch  men  working, 
if  they  can  do  so  unobserved,  because  it  reminds  them  of  those 
for  tliem  happy  days  when  tliey  were  masters  and  men  slaves. 

FATHERHOOD 

Motherhood  was  never  a  secret.  Fatherhood  on  the  contrary, 
had  to  be  discovered.  It  is  hard  to  prove  even  today.  Though 
love  affairs  between  men  and  women  was  recognized  from  the 
start  primitive  man  failed  to  connect  it  with  motherhood.  They 
thought  that  when  women  came  to  a  certain  age,  they  gave  birth 
to  children.  That  man  had  anything  to  do  with  it,  they  did  not 
at  first  understand. 

What  happened  to  the  one  who  discovered  the  fatherhood  of 
man  we  shall  never  know.  The  truth  probably  was  doubted  at 
first,  then  resented,  then  ridiculed,  and  finally  accepted  as  some- 
thing of  no  consequence.  As  a  consequence,  however,  man  in  his 
own  estimation  at  least,  rose  immensely.  Now  as  a  father,  he 
insisted  that  the  children  were  his.  From  this  it  was  only  a  step 
more  to  claim  the  mother  as  his  property  and  women  were  sub- 
jugated.   This  we  shall  suppose,  made  man  happier.    And  that  the 


IDLE  THOUGHTS  117 

male  element  was  given  more  prominence,  we  shall  further  suppose 
made  man  more  aggressive,  and  in  the  struggle  for  the  possession 
of  women,  children  and  other  property  more  intelligent  and  further 
that  this  increased  intelligence  made  possible  his  advances  in  other 
directions.  But  simply  as  father  man  is  put  in  a  precarious  position, 
a  position  of  doubt,  and  he  is  often  made  ridiculous  on  that  account. 
His  presence  in  the  home,  which  originally  was  that  of  the  mother 
and  her  children,  we  feel  to  be  an  anamoly,  an  intrusion  on  his 
part.  Most  fathers  themselves,  seem  to  feel  the  same  way.  At 
home  they  keep  quiet,  and  often  their  silence  is  sullen.  When 
out  of  the  house,  the  fathers  grow  gay  and  at  the  same  time  the 
gloom  is  lifted  from  the  home.  The  children  begin  to  play.  No 
wonder  that  the  idea  that  we  are  strangers  here  on  earth  and  that 
heaven  is  our  true  home  sometimes  takes  possession  of  men's  minds. 

Evidently  there  is  something  wrong  or  lacking  in  our  idea  of 
fatherhood.  The  discovery  was  not  complete.  Let  us  therefore 
turn  again  to  Weininger  and  give  a  few  quotations  from  his  "Sex 
and  Character :" 

— "Paternity  is  a  diffused  relation.  Many  instances,  disputed 
by  men  of  science,  point  to  an  influence  not  brought  about  directly 
by  the  reproductive  cells." 

— "And  also  the  motherly  woman  throughout  her  whole  life,  is 
impressed  by  lovers,  by  voices,  by  words,  by  inanimate  things.  All 
the  influences  that  come  to  her  she  turns  to  the  purpose  of  her 
being,  to  the  shaping  of  her  child,  and  the  "actual"  father  has  to 
share  his  paternity  with  perhaps  other  men  and  many  other  things." 

— "The  woman  is  impregnated  not  only  through  the  genital  tract 
but  through  every  fibre  of  her  being.  All  life  makes  an  impression 
on  her  and  throws  its  image  on  her  child.  This  universality  in 
the  purely  physical  sphere,  is  analogous  to  genius." 

Weininger  is  not  the  only  one  who  believes  that  impressions 
other  than  those  of  the  actual  father  has  an  influence  on  the  mother, 
an  influence  that  shall  have  its  effect  on  the  child.  Races  who 
worshipped  beauty  sought  to  surround  the  mother-to-be  with  beauti- 
ful objects  in  order  to  produce  beautiful  men  and  we  feel  that  we 
ought  to  do  the  same.  And  in  seeking  a  means  to  that  end,  it 
occurs  to  me  that  in  the  movies  we  already  have  a  medium  to 
impress  the  woman  favorably  for  the  offspring  superior  perhaps 
to  any  of  the  objects  utilized  by  the  ancients.  It  is  as  if  pictures 
were  made  especially  for  that  purpose.  Love  making,  marriage 
and  child  birth  is  the  main  theme  of  the  movie  plays.  The  heroes 
and  heroines  are  beautiful,  their  moral  correct,  that  is,  virtue  is 
extolled,  vice  condemned,  and  when  it  comes  to  scenery,  it  is  mag- 


118  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

nificent.  It  is  as  if  a  kind  providence  had  created  these  theatres 
as  an  escape  from  the  ugly  homes  of  the  sKims  and  not  alone  of 
the  slums,  into  a  world  of  beauty.  Especially  are  they  needed 
in  our  age  when  the  public  life,  including  the  religious  services  do 
not  appeal  to  the  imagination  and  when  they  who  can  afford  to 
do  so  dare  not  display  their  wealth  in  public  for  fear  that  it  shall 
make  the  poor  envious.  Now  this  is  already  overcome  to  some  ex- 
tent by  the  movies,  and  much  more  can  be  expected  from  this  field, 
and  if  there  is  anything  in  this  theory  of  impression,  and  bearing 
in  mind  the  many  beautiful  movie  artists  we  confidently  look  for- 
ward to  a  new  generation  that  in  beauty  shall  surpass  our  own. 

But  by  this  diffused  fatherhood,  the  actual  father  must  lose  in 
importance.  Perhaps  he  shall  disappear  as  husband  and  father  and 
be  what  he  was  before  fatherhood  was  discovered,  namely,  a  lover. 
This  again  must  profoundly  affect  our  ideas  of  property.  For  why 
should  I  give  my  millions  to  a  child  to  whom  I  am  only  partly 
father  and  withhold  them  from  another  child  whose  mother  some- 
times, and  me,  unawares,  were  so  deeply  impressed  with  my  ap- 
pearance that  her  child,  though  I  am  not  its  actual  father,  never- 
theless takes  more  after  me  than  my  own  and  is  therefore  more 
truly  my  rightful  heir.  Indeed  it  seems  that  the  only  gentlemanly 
way  should  be  to  renounce  fatherhood  altogether  and  treat  all  chil- 
dren as  our  own  and  as  equally  entitled  to  our  love  and  protection. 

"And  call  no  man  your  father  upon  the  earth ;  for  one  is  your 
Father,  which  is  in  heaven." 

BROTHERHOOD 

If  the  brotherhood  after  the  flesh  is  an  indication  of  what  the 
brotherhood  of  man  shall  be  when  it  is  realized  we  cannot  expect 
very  much  from  it.  Already  in  childhood  the  older  brother  tries 
to  run  away  from  or  boss  his  younger  brother.  On  this  account 
or  for  other  causes,  the  sympathy  between  brothers  seems  to  be 
very  slight.  Rarely  do  we  see  brothers  together  after  they  have 
grown  up.  They  almost  invariably  prefer  the  company  of  others. 
If  there  be  an  heritage,  the  division  of  the  same  is  sure  to  cause 
some  misunderstandings.  One  perhaps  went  away  and  thinks  he, 
on  that  account,  ought  to  have  more  than  an  equal  share.  The 
other  who  stayed  at  home  is  equally  convinced  that  this  entitled 
him  to  more  than  the  one  who  went  away.  And  so  it  goes, 
brothers  rarely  agree.  Be  that  on  the  account  of  the  dift"used 
fatherhood  that  necessarily  brings  about  a  difference  in  tempera- 
ment or  for  other  reasons.     The  Bible  stories  sustain  this  view  of 


IDLE  THOUGHTS  119 

brotherhood  as  exemplified  in  the  brothers  Cain  and  Abel,  Esau 
and  Jacob,  the  elder  brother  and  the  prodigcal  son. 

The  spirit  within  the  fraternities,  secret  or  benevolent,  does 
not  inspire  us  much.  The  only  attempt  at  brotherhood  in  the 
modern  world  that  appeals  to  us  is  the  Big  Brother  movement, 
because  it  implies  a  closer  union  between  the  older  and  the  younger 
and  because  we  think  such  a  union  beneficial  to  both.  A  personal 
relation  of  that  kind  would  enable  the  older  to  convey  to  the 
younger  some  of  their  acquired  wisdom  and  the  fresh  view  of  life 
possessed  by  the  younger  should  have  a  rejuvenating  inlluence  on 
the  older. 

Something  like  this  existed  in  Sparta  under  the  name  of 
"Favoritism,"  as  a  few  quotations  from  Plutarch's  "Life  of  Ly- 
curgus"  shows,  "At  this  age  (12  years),  the  most  distinguished 
among  them  became  the  favorite  companions  of  the  elder;  and  the 
old  men  attended  more  constantly  their  places  of  exercise,  observing 
their  trials  of  strength  and  wit,  not  slightly  and  in  a  cursory  manner, 
but  as  their  fathers,  guardians  and  governors,  so  that  there  was 
neither  time  nor  place  where  persons  were  wanting  to  instruct  and 
chastise  them." 

"The  adapters  of  favorites  also  shared  both  in  the  honors  and 
disgrace  of  their  boys,  and  one  of  them  is  said  to  have  been  mulcted 
by  the  magistrates  because  the  boy  whom  he  had  taken  into  his 
affections  let  some  ungenerous  word  or  cry  escape  him  as  he  was 
fighting.  This  love  was  so  honorable  and  in  so  much  esteem,  that 
the  virgins,  too,  had  their  lovers  amongst  the  most  virtuous  ma- 
trons." 

In  Athens  we  find  something  similar  to  favoritism,  something 
more  hermaphroditic  in  the  relation  of  men  to  boys  as  lovers  and 
loves. 

Plato  in  his  "Republic"  recommends  that  boys  should  be 
watched  in  their  play  in  order  to  discover  the  natural  bent  of  their 
minds  and  that  they  should  be  trained  accordingly.  This  presup- 
poses communism,  and  Plato's  "Republic"  was  to  be  communistic. 
Where  inequality  of  wealth  exists,  wealth  more  than  the  natural 
ability  shall  determine  my  vocation.  A  poor  man's  son  shall  get 
manual  training  and  a  rich  man's  son  mental  training,  regardless 
of  their  natural  ability  or  natural  inclination.  Plato's  method  in- 
terferes to  some  extent  with  the  freedom  of  the  individual  to  choose 
his  career  and  change  his  occupation,  and  is  to  that  extent  auto- 
cratic, rather  than  democratic.  In  our  republic,  we  hold  that  it  is 
better  to  be  free  even  if  we  choose  the  wrong  path  than  that  we 
be  compelled  to  do  the  right  thing  against  our  will.     In  freedom  a 


120  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

carpenter's  son,  like  Jesus,  the  Nazarene,  may  choose  to  be  a  King 
and  a  King's  son  Hke  Peter  the  Great,  may  choose  to  be  a  car- 
penter. 

The  system  of  favoritism  as  it  existed  among  the  Athenians, 
namely,  as  a  relation  of  lovers  to  their  loves  is  of  especial  interest 
since  it  is  foreign  and  repulsive  to  us,  and  more  so  since  it  may 
have  contributed  directly  or  indirectly  towards  the  cultivation  of  the 
great  men  of  that  period.  And  a  few  quotations  from  Plato's  "The 
Symposium"  shall  give  us  an  idea  of  its  nature : 

— "In  the  first  place,  there  were  three  kinds  of  human  beings, 
not  as  at  present,  only  two,  male  and  female.  But  there  was  also 
a  third  common  to  both  of  these,  the  name  only  of  which  now  re- 
mains, it  has  of  itself  disappeared.  It  was  then  (one)  man-woman 
('Hermaphrodite')  whose  form  and  name  partook  of  and  was 
common  to  both  the  male  and  female,  but  it  is  now  nothing  but  a 
name,  given  by  way  of  reproach." 

— "They  were  terrible  in  force  and  aspirations  and  made  an  at- 
tempt against  the  gods." 

It  is  then  related  that  the  gods  cut  them  in  two.  "But  such 
women  as  are  sections  of  the  female  do  not  pay  much  attention  to 
men,  but  turn  themselves  rather  to  woman,  and  from  this  race  are 
the  courtesans." 

— "Such  as  are  sections  of  the  male  form,  follow  the  males,  and 
whilst  they  are  young,  being  fragments  of  men,  they  love  men 
and  are  delighted  in  being  with  them,  and  they  are  the  best  of  boys 
and  youths,  as  being  the  most  manly  in  their  disposition.  Yet  some 
say  indeed,  they  are  shameless.  But  in  this  they  say  false,  for  it 
is  not  through  shamelessness,  but  through  assurance  and  a  manly 
temper  and  a  manly  look  that  the  embrace  that  resembles  them- 
selves and  of  this  there  is  abundant  proof.  For  when  they  are  full 
grown,  such  alone  turn  out  men  as  regards  political  affairs." 

— "So  in  the  case  of  loving,  not  every  love  is  honorable 
and  worthy  to  be  highly  praised.  But  that  which  impels  to  lov- 
ing honorably.  The  one  then  belonging  to  the  Vulgar  Venus  is  a 
love  truly  vulgar."  The  other,  belonging  to  the  Celestial  Venus,  "and 
not  sharing  in  the  lust,"  must  be  the  ideal.  And  hence  they  who 
are  inspired  by  this  love,  turn  themselves  to  the  male,  feeling  for 
that  which  is  naturally  of  greater  strength  and  possesses  more  mind. 
And  anyone  would,  in  the  boy  love  itself,  discover  those  sincerely 
impelled  by  this  passion." 

— "But  by  those  in  Ionia  and  in  many  other  places  it  is 
held  to  be  dishonorable,  for  through  their  tyrannical  governments 
this,  and  the  love  of  wisdom  and  gymnastic  exercises   (are  con- 


IDLE  THOUGHTS  121 

sidered)  disgraceful.  For  it  is  not,  I  conceive,  to  the  interest  of 
rulers  that  high  thoughts  should  be  engendered  in  their  subjects 
nor  strong  friendships  formed,  nor  societies  in  common ;  all  of 
which  those  other  things,  and  love  especially,  is  wont  to  introduce." 

Great  men  today,  as  a  rule,  are  not  lovers  of  boys.  If  their 
love  is  greater  than  that  which  can  be  gratified  by  women,  their 
affection  generally  goes  to  animals,  horses,  dogs,  cats,  etc.  And 
this  is  probably  just  as  bad  as  we  are  apt  to  think  that  love  was 
which  existed  between  men  and  boys  in  Athens.  For  is  it  not 
more  natural  that  I  should  feel  an  affection  for  the  young  of  my 
own  kind  and  sex  than  that  I  should  kiss  and  caress  dogs  and 
cats? 

At  the  same  time,  favoritism,  as  it  was  sometimes  practiced 
in  Athens,  must  appear  as  a  blot  on  that  brilliant  period,  and  puts 
many  of  the  philosophers,  Plato  included,  in  a  less  favorable  light. 
We  are  tempted,  too,  to  consider  them  as  degenerates  or  a  dis- 
reputable class  of  men.  Nevertheless,  we  must  admit  that  these 
men  were  the  embodiment  of  what  is  immortal  in  the  ancient  civili- 
zation. As  hermaphrodites,  they  possessed  a  surplus  energy,  for 
hermaphroditism  is  not  a  deficiency  of  male-ness,  but  an  overflow 
thereof,  transmuted  into  a  degree  of  femaleness,  and  a  con- 
sequent enlargement  of  consciousness.  They  were  nature's  fa- 
vorites, richer  in  life  and  spirit  than  the  rest,  and  they  turned  their 
attention  to  the  cultivation  of  boys  rich  in  life  and  spirit  as  them- 
selves, and  this  may  in  some  measure  account  for  the  great  accom- 
plishments of  men  in  that  age  in  the  most  varied  fields  of  en- 
deavor. 

In  our  day,  favoritism  of  any  kind  is  frowned  upon.  A  sense 
of  justice  prompts  us  to  counteract  the  favoritism  of  nature  by  an 
equal  care  for  all.  But  is  not  this,  too,  a  favoritism?  Anyway, 
it  can  be  carried  too  far.  While  we,  in  the  interest  of  the  republic, 
must  retain  our  compulsory  public  school  education  in  the  interests 
of  the  variously  endowed  boys,  something  similar  to  favoritism 
should  be  introduced.  Something  of  that  sort  does  exist  in  the 
schools  of  fine  arts,  where  master  and  pupils  are  mutually  interested 
in  the  same  work.  And  it  is  no  reason  why  it  should  not  be  in 
other  arts  and  handicrafts  and  in  other  fields. 

Here  we  observe  that  the  natural  father  as  a  rule,  is  not  a 
successful  teacher  of  his  own  son,  even  if  his  son's  inclination  is 
towards  his  father's  trade  or  profession,  he  prefers  another  teacher 
or  instructor  and  resents  even  the  friendly  advice  from  his  own 
father.  The  underlying  cause  for  this  is  perhaps  that  the  relation- 
ship between  father  and  son,  more  often  and  from  the  beginning, 


122  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

is  felt  to  be  that  of  master  and  slave.  A  friendly  relation  with 
another  grown-up  person,  on  the  other  hand,  shall  have  a  great 
liberating  influence  on  the  mind  of  a  boy,  especially  if  their  in- 
terests are  the  same.  And  for  the  big  brother  to  meet  a  boy 
whom  he  imagines  to  be  just  like  himself  when  he  was  that  age, 
would  be  just  like  meeting  himself.  And  meeting  his  favorite,  he 
would  exclaim,  "This  is  my  son  the  beloved,  in  whom  I  am  well 
pleased."  This  brotherhood  is  based  on  selfishness,  the  rock  of 
our  salvation,  and  this  ideal  brotherhood  as  my  older  self  related  to 
my  younger  self  is  also  my  ideal  selfhood  made  continuous  from  gen- 
eration to  generation.  And  who  could  be  in  better  position  to  guide 
my  yovmger  self  than  my  older  self.  We  all  remember  instances  in 
our  childhood  when  we  were  praised  when  we  ought  to  have  been 
blamed,  and  punished  when  we  deserved  a  reward  by  those  who 
did  not  know  because  they  could  not  know. 

The  liberating  effects  an  intimate  friendship  like  that  of  a 
lover  and  his  love  would  have  on  a  boy  or  youth,  especially  if  the 
lover  was  a  great  man,  can  easily  be  imagined.  Now  the  great  men 
are  distant  so  long  as  they  are  alive,  and  deified  when  they  are  dead. 
This  cannot  help  but  have  a  crushing  effect  on  the  spirit  of  the 
young,  who  must  feel  that  they  can  never  attain  to  that  perfection. 
It  is  the  flaws  in  the  works  of  the  old  masters  that  inspires  us  with 
a  desire  to  try  to  excel  them.  It  releases  the  dynamic  forces  within 
us.  And  as  it  is  with  their  work,  so  it  is  in  regard  to  their  character. 
We  love  them  for  their  faults  and  not  for  their  perfections  and 
love  is  dynamic.  Some  have  praised  this  deification  of  dead  heroes 
as  a  historical  art,  calculated  to  inspire  the  young.  In  reality  it 
serves  only  to  crush  the  spirit  of  every  living  genius.  It  is  a 
black  art  practiced  in  the  interest  of  reactionaries.  Their  men 
are  idolized  and  are  given  a  place  on  the  front  page,  so  to  speak, 
in  history,  while  men  of  genius,  philosopher,  scientist,  artist,  in- 
ventor, etc.,  if  they  are  mentioned  at  all,  are  given  a  place  in  the 
margin  or  in  a  foot  note.  If  the  intention  was  to  throw  a  mantle 
of  charity  over  the  faults  of  great  men,  we  should  have  no  objection 
to  this  historical  art.  But  this  is  not  the  case,  for  when  it  comes  to 
men  of  genius,  their  faults  are  not  forgotten.  Some  indeed  do  not 
hesitate  to  class  them  all  as  degenerates. 

In  the  powers  of  darkness,  there  is  not  a  shadow  of  change. 
To  kill  and  defame  the  Lucifers,  the  bringers  of  light,  the  in- 
novators, is,  and  must  be  their  business.  While  the  friendship  and 
close  relationships  with  the  great  men  of  their  time  must  have 
been  a  great  help  to  the  youths,  we  ought  not  to  ascribe  to  that 
relationships  more  than  it  deserves.     Previous  to  the  great  period 


IDLE  THOUGHTS  123 

of  Greek  life  in  Crete  first,  and  later  in  other  places,  the  Greek 
had  discarded  almost  all  their  clothes  and  went  about,  practically 
speaking,  naked.  This  innovation  was  at  that  time,  by  the  bar- 
barians, considered  shameless,  as  it  would  today  by  Christians  be 
considered  a  sign  of  degeneracy. 

But  the  freeing  of  the  body  from  a  superfluous  clothing  may 
have  had  an  equally  liberating  effect  on  their  minds  and  under 
this  new  freedom,  their  bodies  became  more  beautiful  and  their 
souls  expanded.  As  a  consequence  they  became  worshippers  of 
beauty,  especially  male  beauty.  This  indicates  that  nudeness,  in- 
stead of  exciting  their  sexual  passion,  on  the  contrary,  tended  to 
lift  the  mind  above  it,  and  made  them  able  to  contemplate  the  human 
form  dispassionately. 

An  excessive  use  of  clothes  and  an  undue  concealment  of  the 
human  form  stimulates  the  imagination  and  the  heart  interest  and  ill 
health  follows  this  all-absorbing  heart  interest.  Nudeness  seems 
to  be  a  necessity.  Eskimos  were  by  the  severity  of  the  climate  in 
the  Arctic  region,  compelled  to  wear  heavy  clothing  when  they  were 
hunting  and  fishing,  but  when  they  had  come  into  their  ice  huts, 
they  stripped  off  everything  and  sat  on  their  polar  bear  rugs  stark 
naked,  but  perfectly  innocent,  sinless  and  shameless,  modest  in  move- 
ments and  demeanor.  That  is,  so  they  did  in  their  original  and 
healthful  state,  now  they  are  converted  and  wear  clothes,  and  are 
sick  and  dying  out.  So  we  observe  in  the  Samoan  Islands — to  take 
an  example  from  a  tropical  clime — in  their  original  state,  Samoans 
were  naked  and  healthy,  but  as  soon  as  they  became  Christians  and 
wore  Christian  clothes,  they  got  consumption.  And  there  is  no 
cure  for  it  unless  it  be  a  universal  application  of  Utopianism,  which 
admits  moral  experiments,  including  a  trial  of  nudeness.  The  only 
objection  to  a  trial  of  that  kind  should  be  that  our  bodies  are 
more  or  less  deformed  at  present  by  the  wearing  of  clothes.  Fine 
feathers  make  fine  birds.  When  their  feathers  are  moulted,  birds 
look  bad.  Somewhat  similarly  the  face  of  a  man  the  day  after  he 
has  shaved  off  his  whiskers  appears  angular  and  it  wears  a  skeleton 
like  grin.  But  after  a  few  days  the  smile  wears  off  and  the  features 
become  more  rounded  out  and  consequently  present  a  more  pleasing 
sight.  So  we  shall  expect  that  when  the  surface  of  our  bodies 
come  in  direct  touch  with  the  moulding  forces  of  the  universe,  they 
shall  be  made  more  symmetrical  and  beautiful  and  a  more  fit 
habitation  for  our  soul.  To  try  this  idea  in  Utopias  should  be  a 
simple  matter.  With  large  homes  connected  with  spacious  heavens, 
properly  ventilated  and  heated,  a  discarding  of  clothes  within  the 
homes  is  possible  even  in  the  winter  time.    What  clothes  and  drap- 


124  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

eries  are  retained  would  be  purely  ornamental.  But  since  what 
little  we  had  on  would  be  to  conceal  and  not  to  expose  the  effect 
would  be  pure  as  the  motive  is  pure.  Any  exposure  of  the  neck 
and  shoulders,  be  it  only  an  inch,  if  it  is  made  as  an  advertisement 
of  the  bodily  charms  is  vulgar,  because  it  savors  of  a  traffic  in  sex. 
Leaving  the  homes,  climatic  conditions  shall  compel  people  outside 
the  tropical  zone,  as  it  did  the  Eskimos  to  put  on  suitable  costumes 
as  overalls  for  the  different  walks  of  life.  Street  and  working 
clothes  that  could  be  easily  stripped  off  and  placed  in  the  ante- 
rooms when  we  returned.  In  the  heavens,  at  least,  we  should 
expect  our  costumes  to  be  somewhat  paradisical.  From  this  revolu- 
tionizing of  clothing  would  naturally  and  inevitably  follow  an  in- 
creased vitality.  In  ecstacy  and  certain  forms  of  insanity,  which 
may  be  a  temporary  sense  of  an  abundance  of  life,  people  have 
a  desire  to  throw  away  clothes,  together  with  the  restraint  of  con- 
ventionality, having  lost  their  sense  of  sin  and  shame  and  being 
filled  with  that  perfect  love  that  casteth  out  all  fear.  And  filled 
with  that  abundance  of  life,  we  should  be  better  able  to  understand 
the  platonic  love.  "Friends  should  have  everything  in  common." 
That  is  the  burden  of  Plato's  social  philosophy.  Everything  in- 
cluding women  and  children — these  being  property  in  his  days. 
The  idea  that  men,  women  and  children  belong  to  themselves  and 
all  which  this  implies  is  scarcely  realized  today.  We  might  say 
that  unless  we  have  everything  in  common,  we  cannot  be  friends. 
Then  we  are  only  brothers.  Then  we  perceive  that  the  Platonic 
idea  of  friendship  is  different  from  and  superior  to  the  idea  of 
brotherhood  in  the  same  way  that  we  recognize  that  intelligence  is 
different  from  and  superior  to  instinct.  Though  the  latter  is  the 
stronger,  the  more  fundamental  of  the  two. 

The  time  of  Plato  was  the  Greek  pentecost.  Apparently  the 
more  gifted  Athenians  during  that  great  period  had  lost  their  moral 
sense.  In  them,  then,  the  forces,  inhibited  by  faith  and  ancient 
customs,  found  an  outlet.  Liberated  and  as  in  a  state  of  intoxica- 
tion they  began  to  question  the  truth  of  myths  and  morals  and  dis- 
cussed everything  with  an  almost  baccic  fury. 

A  similar  occurrence  takes  place  in  nature  when  they  at  other 
times  well-behaved  animals,  the  males  especially,  in  the  mating  sea- 
son begin  to  act  strangely  and  wildly  and  in  this  period  of  irre- 
sponsibility propagate  their  kind.  Similarly  the  great  period  in 
Greek  life  was  a  spiritual  or  mental  mating  season  that  gave  birth 
to  the  immortal  children  of  their  brains — children,  which  being  im- 
mortal, are  still  with  us  and  have  power  to  stimulate  minds  of  a 
congenial  quality. 


IDLE  THOUGHTS  125 

Everything  passes  away.  All  civilizations  and  all  dispensations 
come  to  an  end  but  not  all  of  them  have  a  pentecost  to  wind  up 
with.  Our  civilization  comes  to  an  end.  Shall  we  hear  the  bells 
of  pentecost  chiming? 

SISTERHOOD 

We  hear  a  great  deal  about  the  brotherhood  of  man,  but  never 
about  the  sisterhood  of  man.  Our  language  is  against  it.  While 
fraternity  means  brotherhood,  maternity  does  not  mean  sisterhood. 
Our  present  era  which  is  a  continuation  of  the  patriarchate,  recog- 
nizes the  mother  to  some  extent,  but  has  no  room  for  the  sister. 
But  in  woman's  striving  for  the  ballot,  and  organizing  themselves 
into  women's  clubs,  we  see  a  sisterhood  coming  that  shall  take 
possession  of  the  political  and  religious  functions  naturally  belong- 
ing to  woman.  And  as  the  matriarchate  preceded  the  patriarchate, 
so  we  shall  expect  the  sisterhood  of  man  to  come  before  the  brother- 
hood of  man.  This,  however,  we  do  not  expect  to  result  in  any- 
thing like  the  matriachate  or  patriarchate,  since  both  these  forms 
were  based  on  sex  and  are  in  their  nature,  autocratic. 

Having  risen  to  the  recognition  of  the  individual  as  the  unit 
and  freedom  of  the  individual  as  the  ideal,  any  return  of  the  arch- 
aic forms  is  out  of  the  question.  History  does  not  repeat  itself. 
Should  we  return  to  Paradise,  the  original  Utopia,  we  should  be 
wiser  than  the  serpent,  and  it  would  be  a  better  and  safer  Paradise 
for  our  having  wandered  away  from  that  blessed  garden.  The  first 
step  towards  democracy,  it  will  be  remembered,  was  taken  by  Eve. 
The  Tree  of  Knowledge  looked  good  to  her,  and  she  ate  of  the  for- 
bidden fruit.  She  knew  it  was  wrong,  but  she  took  an  apple  anyway, 
and  generously  offered  some  of  it  to  her  partner,  and  the  ever-obe- 
dient Adam  ate  thereof,  and  both  knew  good  and  evil.  Now,  what 
we  shall  expect  of  the  sisters  is,  that  they  shall  complete  the  work  of 
Eve,  and  take  the  last  step  towards  the  establishment  of  a  perfect 
democracy,  or,  to  use  the  symbolic  language  of  the  Bible,  that  they 
take  also  of  the  tree  of  life,  and  we  shall  live  forever. 

No  man  can  tell  what  his  sisters  will  do  or  what  his  sisters 
are  capable  of  doing,  that  must  forever  remain  a  mystery  to  us, 
but  it  is  a  safe  guess  that  it  shall  not  be  the  mother  type  of  woman- 
hood that  shall  come  to  the  front  during  a  coming  sisterhood. 
The  mother  type  has  had  its  day.  The  sister  will  of  course  take 
care  of  the  mothers,  they  generally  do,  and  being  in  better  position 
to  do  so,  will  see  to  it  that  the  mothers  are  not  neglected.  The 
other  type,  the  bi-sexual,  corresponding  to  the  male  hermaphrodites, 


126  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

the  Sapphist  type,  so  named  after  Sappho,  which  we  expect  to  take 
the  leadership  in  a  coming  sisterhood,  is  therefore,  of  special 
interest  to  us,  and  as  Ibsen  in  "Hedda  Gabler"  has  portrayed  a 
modern  woman  character  of  that  type,  we  shall  dwell  fur  a  moment 
on  her  main  features. 

Hedda  Gabler  as  a  child  was  boyish,  her  playmates  were  afraid 
of  her.  When  grown  up  she  did  not  care  for  marriage,  but  drifted 
into  it,  and  as  a  married  woman,  she  loathed  the  very  word  love, 
"Faugh,  don't  use  that  slushy  word."  The  mere  thought  of  being 
big  with  child  was  abhorrent  with  Hedda.  And  in  the  bosom  of 
the  family,  she,  like  so  many  of  her  kind,  perished.  Reaching  the 
climax  of  her  tragedy,  she  propounded  this  question — speaking  as 
it  were  into  the  void — "Is  there  nothing  I  can  do  to  help  you  two?" 
And  her  husband  answered  absent-mindedly  as  it  were  "Nothing  in 
the  world." 

Hedda  Gabler  had  nothing  to  do  and  did  not  know  what  to  do, 
therefore,  she  had  to  die,  and  she  did  kill  herself.  In  spite  of  that, 
she  was,  and  by  her  associates  were  felt  to  be,  a  superior  woman. 
But  as  a  superior  woman,  she  was  under  the  obligation  to  assume 
the  leadership  and  its  responsibilities.  Too  lazy  and  too  cowardly, 
she  drifted.  On  every  turn,  she  violated  her  own  nature,  con- 
sequently it  did  turn  out  disastrously  for  herself  and  others.  For 
the  mother  type  of  woman,  it  is  perfectly  natural  to  marry  and  use 
their  influences  as  an  irresponsible  power  behind  the  throne.  It  is 
instinctively  and  therefore  innocently  done.  When  a  woman  has 
become  conscious  of  her  power  and  uses  it  without  regards  for 
others  which  this  consciousness  demands,  that  is,  uses  it  as  a  woman, 
on  the  instinctive  plan,  the  result  must  be  disastrous,  as  the  actions 
of  an  animal  would  be  if  it  become  conscious  of  its  strength  without 
any  sense  of  responsibility  as  to  its  use. 

Therefore  this  class  of  women  should  be  put  in  positions  of 
responsibility  in  larger  units  than  the  family  for  their  own  good 
and  for  the  good  of  these  larger  units  and  for  the  good  of  the 
family.  Hedda  Gabler  was  interested  in  politics,  but  laboring  under 
the  delusion  that  she  could  play  the  part  of  the  wife  as  the  power 
behind  the  throne,  she  wished  that  her  husband  who  was  not  fitted 
for  it,  would  go  into  politics  instead  of  entering  the  arena  herself. 
All  women,  it  is  claimed,  are  at  heart  aristocratic,  and  the  superior 
type,  as  represented  by  Hedda  Gabler,  is  essentially  so.  Power, 
distinction  and  luxury  was  what  she  wanted  through  politics.  This 
is  an  additional  reason  why  women  should  be  given  functions  in  the 
political  and  religious  bodies.  They  would  put  some  style  to  it. 
And  there  would  be  no  limit  to  their  demands  in  order  to  aggrandize 


IDLE  THOUGHTS  127 

the  social  forms  entrusted  in  their  care.  They  would,  in  their  love 
of  power,  distinction  and  luxury,  be  a  danger  to  our  liberties,  a 
danger  that  shall  keep  us  alive  to  the  danger  of  losing  them,  which 
again  is  a  gain,  since  only  through  eternal  vigilance  can  the  spirit 
of  liberty  be  kept  alive. 

The  mother  type  cares  nothing  for  politics  as  a  rule.  They 
love  their  husbands,  their  children,  their  homes,  sometimes  the 
church,  but  that's  the  limit.  Their  love  is  limited  and  they  love 
too  much.  We  are  enslaved  by  love.  As  it  is  bluntly  stated  in 
Genesis,  "Thy  desire  shall  be  to  thy  husband,  and  he  shall  rule  over 
thee."  Now,  husbands  and  wives  do  not  object  to  this  state  of 
affairs,  and  no  one  should  interfere  so  long  as  this  desire  to  be  ruled 
and  the  desire  to  rule  does  not  exceed  what  to  both  is  desirable. 
But  as  this  desire  to  rule  may  lead  to  cruelty  and  neglect  of  the 
ruled  one,  it  surely  would  be  to  the  advantage  of  the  mother,  if 
there  existed  a  sisterhood  ready  to  protect  them.  A  sisterhood, 
the  mere  existence  of  which  would  fill  the  hearts  of  men  with  a 
religious  awe,  a  fear  like  that  of  a  pov/er,  mysterious  ominous, 
sinister. 

However,  we  do  not  expect  that  a  sisterhood  among  the  daugh- 
ters of  woman  shall  result  in  anything  like  a  sisterhood  of  nuns. 
But  we  do  expect,  and  shall  be  prepared  for  almost  anything  else. 
This  element  of  uncertainty  shall  add  to  the  zest  of  life  and  the 
joy  of  living,  and  help  to  make  peace  as  interesting  as  war. 

What  we  hope  for,  among  other  things  is,  that  the  sisters  shall 
succeed  where  the  brothers  have  failed,  namely,  in  freeing  humanity 
from  the  bondage  of  the  Vulgar  Venus. 

It  is  not  so  easy.  Emancipation  shall  not  be  efifected  unless 
we  are  able  to  create  social  forms  or  introduce  social  customs  suit- 
able for  the  bi-sexual  men  and  women  and  still  retain  the  customs 
demanded  by  those  who  are  not  of  that  kind.  A  separation  is  im- 
possible because  from  the  marriage  union  of  the  uni-sexual  has 
come  and  shall  continue  to  come,  the  bi-sexual  and  children  of  the 
bi-sexual  shall  revert  into  the  uni-sexual.  It  is  this  that  makes  the 
problem  so  difficult  to  solve.  Many  times  humanity  has  risen  to 
the  border  land  of  the  Celestial  Venus,  but  failed  to  build  her  a 
temple  as  a  temporal  abode,  and  the  Vulgar  Venus  won  out,  and 
after  a  season  of  riotous  living,  humanity  reverted  into  barbarism. 

IDEALS 

Since  men  and  women  are  differently  constituted,  they  have  dif- 
ferent ideals  and  can  never  fully  agree.  In  this  war  between  the 
sexes  there  may  be  rare  moments  of  peace  when  lovers  or  those 


128  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

who  are  only  married  are  at  peace  in  each  other's  presence,  sitting 
quietly  beside  one  another  thinking  of  nothing.  But  presently  one 
shall  ask  the  other :  "What  are  you  thinking  about  now  ?"  And  the 
answer  is :  "Nothing."  And  before  any  of  them  knows  how  it  hap- 
pened, the  war  breaks  out  again. 

This  opposition  of  man  and  woman  to  each  other  is  most 
strongly  marked  during  the  mating  season,  though  never  wholly 
absent.  There  are  men  who  can  never  look  at  a  woman  without 
being  aware  of  her  sex,  as  there  are  women  who  recognize  no  other 
man  than  the  man  of  the  mating  season.  But  in  considering  the 
different  ideals  of  men  and  women,  we  shall  bear  in  mind  that  these 
differences,  being  determined  by  sex,  tend  to  disappear  when  that 
impulse  grows  weaker  or  comes  under  perfect  control. 

Woman's  ideal  man,  to  begin  with,  must  be  strong  and  brave. 
And  nothing  can  convince  her  of  that  except  that  he  overcomes 
herself  in  spite  of  her  opposition.  It  pleases  her  to  see  a  man  go 
down  on  his  knees  before  her,  for  this  is  not  a  sign  of  weakness, 
but  a  sign  of  strength  of  his  passion  and  her  own  power.  It  is 
perfectly  natural,  too,  for  a  strong  man  to  kneel  in  order  to  look 
up  to  the  girl  he  adores.  That  it  is  not  customary  in  our  days,  is 
an  indication  of  our  weakness.  We  are  all  laboring  men.  Imagine 
a  tired  business  man  doing  that  stunt !  It  would  be  ridiculous. 
And  ridiculous  a  woman's  ideal  man  must  not  be.  He  must  be 
serious,  grand,  exalted,  in  short,  a  super  man.  Nietzsche's  Zara- 
thustra  is  woman's  ideal  man. 

Zarathustra  puzzled  me  at  first.  With  all  his  strange  ways 
and  sayings,  there  was  something  familiar  about  that  man.  Then 
at  last  it  dawned  upon  me :  Zarathustra  is  nothing  but  our  old 
friend  Jehovah  modernized.  There  can  be  no  mistake  as  to  his 
identity.  Great,  terrible  and  alone.  We  might  say  the  only  one, 
for  it  would  be  hard  to  imagine  that  there  should  be  several  of 
that  character.  Zarathustra  has  disciples  but  po  followers.  His 
greatness  is  such  that  it  excludes  others.  To  this  character  Nietzsche 
gave  all  the  attributes  of  Jehovah,  and  woman  demands  nothing 
less  of  an  ideal  man,  and  as  creators  of  men,  woman  ought  not  to 
be  satisfied  with  less.  She  is  perfectly  in  the  right  if  she  criticises 
her  work  and  tries  to  improve  it.  Instinctively,  woman  criticises 
man.  Already  as  a  little  girl  she  assumes  the  role  of  criticising 
her  little  brothers  and  will  tell  her  ma  about  their  shortcomings. 
When  a  woman  marries,  it  is  with  a  secret,  and  not  always  secret, 
intention  of  reforming  him,  or  make  a  man  out  of  him,  which 
implies  that  she  does  not  consider  him  as  such  already.  This 
tendency  to  criticise  man  caused  preaching  to  become  a  part  of 


IDLE  THOUGHTS  129 

worship.  And  the  fame  of  many  famous  preachers  and  revivalists 
rests  on  their  ability  to  call  man  vile  names,  sinner,  drunkard,  idler, 
etc.,  and  on  the  delight  of  the  saved,  especially  woman,  to  hear 
man  thus  derided.  While  some  preaching  is  good,  it  is  a  great 
question  if  a  preaching  tliat  often  degenerates  into  an  everlasting 
nagging  does  any  good.  Criticism  of  man  might  be  safely  left  to 
woman  alone,  and  preaching  as  a  profession  without  loss  to  the 
community  be  abolished. 

Only  on  rare  occasions  will  a  woman  say  to  a  man,  "You  are 
all  right."  And  nothing,  by  the  way,  pleases  a  man  more  than 
to  hear  a  woman  tell  him  that.    He  knows  the  severity  of  his  judge. 

This  tendency  to  criticise  man,  however,  is  not  confined  to 
woman  only.  It  is  the  attitude  of  slaves  towards  their  masters. 
In  fact,  many  of  the  characteristics  that  are  considered  womanly, 
are  identical  with  the  characteristics  of  slaves  and  by  emancipation, 
may  be  obliterated. 

The  feminine  was  strong  in  Nietzsche,  and  gave  him  an  almost 
girlish  admiration  for  the  soldier.  If  the  will  to  rule  was  lacking, 
the  best  was  lacking,  and  his  Zarathustra  deplored  that  he  lacked 
the  voice  of  command.  So  the  voice  of  command  and  the  will  to 
rule  is  dear  to  the  girlish  heart.  The  absolute  surrender  to  her 
lover  comes  natural  and  easy  for  her  then.  But  later  on  the  voice 
of  command  begins  to  grate  on  her  nerves,  and  the  will  to  rule  on 
the  part  of  her  husband,  makes  her  rebellious. 

Woman's  attitude  towards  man  is  also  her  attitude  towards 
the  deity,  and  different  from  that  of  a  man  towards  God,  which  is 
the  same  as  his  attitude  towards  woman. 

Only  woman  can  fear  and  love  at  the  same  time.  It  is  indeed 
a  question  if  she  can  love  a  man  unless  there  be  something  in  him 
which  she  fears.  In  the  same  way  she  fears  and  loves  God  and 
seeks  to  win  his  favor  by  worship,  flattery,  hymns  of  praise,  and 
by  pretending  to  be  humble  and  by  absolute  surrender  to  his  will. 
In  short,  she  enjoys  to  be  overcome  by  a  superior  force  and  be 
made  irresponsible  for  what  follows.  This  is  the  feminine  attitude 
toward  man  and  God  and  all  right  as  far  as  it  goes. 

Man,  on  the  other  hand,  approaches  the  woman  he  loves, 
timidly  at  first,  perhaps,  and  with  a  feeling  akin  to  fear,  but  with 
no  intention  or  inclination  to  surrender.  His  intention  and  desire 
is  to  make  her  yield  to  him.  So  in  regard  to  God.  What  a  man 
fears,  he  also  hates  and  will  try  to  overcome  or  make  harmless 
by  magic,  incantations,  sacrifices,  etc.  By  this  attitude,  man  mas- 
tered physical  conditions,  and  in  time,  shall  master  the  spiritual 
conditions. 


130  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

In  the  war  between  sexes,  woman  accuses  man  of  having 
taken  advantage  of  her  weakness  and  enslaved  her.  But  let  us 
not  forget  that  men,  too,  have  been  enslaved  by  other  men.  The 
division  of  mankind  into  masters  and  slaves  is,  therefore,  not  a 
purely  sexual  division.  And  the  war  between  the  sexes  will  cease 
with  the  realization  of  the  freedom  of  the  individual. 

Woman,  as  man's  natural  opponent,  made  one  of  the  church 
fathers  exclaim,  "Woman,  thou  art  the  gates  of  hell !"  This 
exclamation,  however,  only  proves  that  the  church  father  had  not 
mastered  his  passions.  If  his  heart's  desires  had  been  at  peace 
with  one  another  like  the  animals  in  the  Garde^i  of  Eden,  or  like 
cats  and  dogs  in  the  same  kitchen,  the  church  father  would  have 
said  in  his  heart,  "Woman,  thou  art  the  gates  of  Paradise !"  Only 
by  encountering  and  overcoming  opposition,  can  we  grow  in  wisdom 
and  power  and  at  last  be  qualified  to  enter  that  blessed  garden. 
And  what  good  shall  it  do  the  woman  to  be  the  gates  of  paradise, 
or  how  indeed  can  she  be  unless  there  be  a  lord  to  enter?  When 
the  King  of  glory  is  lost  in  man,  the  Garden  of  Eden  is  lost  not 
only  to  him  but  to  woman. 

Men's  ideal  man  is  a  gentle  man,  a  man  among  men,  a  King. 
But  to  give  a  definition  of  what  constitutes  the  character  of  a 
gentleman  or  King  is  just  as  hard  to  explain  in  what  beauty  con- 
sists. We  become  aware  of  beauty  of  the  objective  world,  in- 
stinctively as  we  do  of  the  beauty  of  character. 

The  gentleman  is  the  direct  descendant  of  the  kings  or 
chieftains  of  our  ancestors,  and  if  we  can  form  an  idea  of  what 
they  expected  of  their  kings,  we  shall  also  have  gained  some  in- 
sight into  what  our  descendants  shall  expect  of  theirs. 

Ideal  kings  were  spoken  of  as  fortunate  in  having  friends, 
('Vennesccle,'  fredsoele').  They  were  not  criminals  nor  of  the 
criminal  type.  Their  main  functions  were  to  defend  the  kincjdom 
and  make  things  interesting  within  the  realm  and  for  the  neighbors. 
In  war  the  king  was  the  leader,  in  peace,  the  head  of  a  social  center 
larger  than  that  of  the  family.  One  who  was  just,  who  was  no 
respector  of  persons,  a  stiller  of  storms,  a  prince  of  peace.  Such 
we  imagine  his  character  to  be,  whom  the  majority  would  give  the 
title.  King,  in  a  composite  Utopia,  and  this  would  be  in  conformity 
with  the  ideal  king  of  old. 

The  fierce,  the  terrible,  the  criminal  type  was  represented  by 
the  "Berserk,"  a  character  similar  to  Jesse  James  and  other  famous 
outlaws.  But  while  this  class  of  men,  then  as  now,  compelled  a 
certain  kind  of  admiration,  they  were  not  considered  ideal  men. 

The  king  is  the  embodiment  of  the  well-bred  man,  and  as 
such,  the  ideal  social  man,  the  most  highly  civilized  man  at  any 


IDLE  THOUGHTS  131 

time.  But  being  the  culmination  or  end  at  any  given  time,  the 
king  is  necessarily  a  conservative  man,  and  this,  the  male  ideal  of 
a  man  is  an  ideal  with  great  limitations,  and  as  an  only  ideal,  not 
sufficient  for  the  race. 

Woman's  ideal  man,  though  he  be  a  law-breaker,  is  needed 
when  kings  and  gentlemen  are  not  leaders,  but  jailers  in  the  prisons 
of  outgrown  laws  and  customs.  And  when  kings  degenerate  into 
idols  to  hold  people  in  awe  and  to  protect  vested  rights,  they  are 
self-condemned. 

True  kings  never  oppressed  people  with  their  virtues  in  a 
Christian  ^  sense  of  that  word.  Neither  is  a  gentleman  a  saint. 
But  in  spite  of  this,  there  are  a  great  many  things  a  man  cannot  do 
or  be  and  still  be  considered  a  gentleman.  A  true  gentleman, 
though  he  may  have  loved  too  well,  but  not  wisely,  or  drank  more 
than  he  ought  to,  can  be  depended  upon  to  act  as  a  gentleman 
even  under  these  trying  circumstances.  So  a  king,  though  not  a 
saint,  cannot  do  certain  things  or  be  of  a  certain  kind  of  a  man 
and  still  be  considered  a  king.  This  is  the  meaning  of  the  doctrine 
that  the  king  can  do  no  wrong. 

In  the  presence  of  the  king,  we  are  free  as  we  are  free  among 
cultured  people  who  willingly  would  do  us  no  harm  nor  shame 
us  in  any  way.  Woman's  ideal  man,  the  limitless  super-man, 
Jehovah,  we  willingly  concede  to  be  the  greatest.  Nevertheless^ 
men's  ideal  man,  the  king,  is  an  ideal  worth  preserving,  and  woman 
would  lose  just  as  much  as  man  if  that  ideal  was  lost.  And  as  there 
is  a  period  of  our  life  previous  to  the  mating  season  and  the  home 
growing  out  of  that  season,  and  also  a  period  following  that 
season,  prudence  dictates  that  we  provide  social  institutions  like 
the  proposed  courts  where  the  sexual  affairs  are  subordinated  to 
the  intellectual. 

In  my  search  for  truth,  I  came  across  the  following  gem— found 
on  page  two  hundred  and  sixty-eight  in  Dr.  Gustav  Adolf  Lindner's 
book,  ''Empirical  Psychology."— '"The  fool  is  free  from  those  con- 
siderations which  give  the  judicious  pause.  He  blurts  out  the 
truth,  v/here  the  wise  man  dares  only  think.  Hence,  in  earlier 
times  the  custom  of  keeping  for  this  purpose  artificial  fools,  called 
'court  fools.'  " 

And  it  occurred  to  me  that  henceforth  my  quest  must  be  for 
an  artificial  fool,  and  where  should  I  find  him  unless  it  be  in  some 
Utopian  court  of  the  future?  What  court  or  what  institution  today 
could  afford  to  keep  an  artificial  fool? 


132  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

GODS  AND  HEAVENS 

In  us  and  through  us  the  creative  forces  rising  to  our  brains 
broke  the  bonds  of  physical  existence  and  the  spiritual  world  came 
to  be.  Although  the  creations  of  our  fancy,  like  the  stuff  that 
dreams  are  made  of,  are  intangible,  and  in  other  respects,  different 
from  concrete  things,  they  must,  nevertheless,  be  governed  by  laws 
analogous  to  the  laws  of  physics.  As  a  field  can  be  cultivated, 
and  certain  growths  given  a  preference,  so  also  the  minds  of  men 
can  be  and  has  been  cultivated  to  sustain  certain  ideas.  Civiliza- 
tion is  this  cultivation.  But  as  the  soil  sometimes  gives  out  and 
cannot  be  made  to  yield  a  certain  kind  of  grain  any  more,  so  the 
minds  of  men  sometimes  refuse  to  entertain  ideas  that  once  flour- 
ished, or  become  incapable  of  entertaining  them  and  the  civilization 
depending  on  these  ideas  or  ideals  dies  a  natural  death. 

Why  mourn?  The  field  is  there,  though  impoverished.  Give 
it  a  rest  and  rest  shall  restore  its  fruitfulness.  Some  day  it  shall 
bloom  again  like  a  wild  meadow  with  a  myriad  of  different  flowers. 
From  the  Utopian  point  of  view,  the  wild  meadow  is  superior  to  the 
wheat  field.  It  is  our  ideal,  and  he  who  puts  tares  among  the 
wheat  is  not  an  enemy  but  a  savior,  a  savior  from  the  dreary 
ideal  of  sameness. 

The  spiritual  world  generated  in  our  brains  and  filled  with 
tlie  children  of  our  fancy,  exerts  a  greater  influence  over  us  than 
the  physical  world  and  the  physical  forms  swarming  upon  the  face 
of  the  earth.  They  are  parts  of  ourselves,  and  it  is  almost  im- 
possible to  rise  above  what  is  created  or  planted  in  our  minds  and 
given  an  existence. 

"What  manifold  robbery  have  I  not  put  up  with  in  the  history 
of  the  world !  There  I  let  sun,  moon  and  stars,  cats  and  crocodiles, 
receive  the  honor  of  ranking  as  I ;  there  Jehovah,  Allah  and  Our 
Father  came  and  was  invested  with  the  I ;  there  families,  tribes, 
peoples,  and  at  last,  actually  mankind,  came  and  were  honored  as 
I's.  There  the  Church,  the  State,  came  with  the  pretentions  to  be 
I — and  I  gazed  calmly  on  all.  What  wonder  if  then  there  was 
always  a  real  I,  too,  that  joined  the  company  and  affirmed  in  my 
face  that  it  was  not  my  you  but  my  real  I.  Why,  the  Son  of  Man, 
par-excellence  had  done  the  like;  why  should  not  a  Son  of  Man 
do  it  too?  So  I  saw  my  I  always  above  me  and  outside  me,  and 
could  never  really  come  to  myself."  * 


Max   Stimer,   "The  Ego  and  His  Own,"   page   295. 


IDLE  THOUGHTS  133 

FAIRYLAND 

The  first  Heaven  of  which  we  have  any  record  is  generally 
known  under  the  name  of  Fairyland.  Here  we  meet  with  an  end- 
less number  of  beings  which  scientists  never  shall  recognize  as  real. 
Yet,  once  upon  a  time  they  were  believed  to  be  so,  and  were  there- 
fore capable  of  influencing  the  real  world.  And  they  were  true 
to  life;  friendly,  hostile  or  indifferent  to  one  another  like  real 
beings.  Since  this,  the  first  Heaven,  shall  most  closely  resemble 
our  last,  that  is,  the  Utopian  heavens,  it  is  worth  the  while  to 
dwell  on  its  character  for  a  moment,  for  what  is  utopianism  after 
all,  but  an  attempt  to  make  out  of  this  earth  of  ours  a  Fairyland 
where  wonders  shall  never  cease,  and  as  this  close  resemblance  to 
Fairyland  is  not  likely  to  be  disputed  by  anyone,  we  need  not  dwell 
on  this  point  any  further. 

Fairyland  is  democratic.  Every  boy  has  there  a  chance.  He 
can  marry  a  princess,  and  the  poorest  girl  can  marry  a  prince. 
And  in  Fairyland,  by  marriage,  the  princes  get  half  the  kingdom. 
Always  only  half  the  kingdom.  Could  anything  be  fairer?  We 
feel  sure  that  with  an  equal  division  of  the  kingdom,  all  quarrels 
between  the  sexes  would  vanish  and  all  go  on  beautifully  as  when 
fairy  tales  were  true. 

The  idea  of  slavery  in  the  sense  in  which  we  commonly  use 
tliat  word  is  absent  in  most  fairy  tales.  But  numerous  instances 
are  related  of  princes  and  princesses  held  in  bondage  by  some 
evil  ogre,  who  has  cast  a  charm  over  them,  and  how  the  spell  can 
only  be  broken  and  the  imprisoned  souls  set  at  liberty  by  some 
heroic  deed  or  great  sacrifice. 

The  moral  teachings  of  the  fairy  tales  are  simple  enough. 
This  is  the  moral  of  most  of  them :  Boys,  starting  out  on  their 
adventures,  meet  some  old  man  or  woman,  ugly,  helpless,  or  in 
sore  distress.  The  boys  that  ignore  or  ill  treat  these  unfortunate 
ones  meet  with  disaster,  while  those  that  give  them  a  glad  hand 
become  successful.  For  these  unfortunate  beings  are  fairies  in 
disguise,  with  power  to  avenge  themselves  on  the  unfriendly  and 
the  ability  to  help  those  who  helped  them. 

Once  upon  a  time  men  believed  in  fairy  tales,  but  this  time 
is  past.  Told  as  true  they  are  not  tolerated;  but  throwing  that 
pretense  away  and  being  simply  what  they  are,  namely,  fairy  tales, 
and  providing  they  are  true  to  life,  and  wonderful  as  life  is  wonder- 
ful, they  survive  and  gain  immortality. 


134  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

POLYTHEISM 

Out  of  Fairyland  rose  the  gods  of  Olympus,  Valhalla  and 
other  high  places.  They  were  all  the  gods  of  an  aristocracy,  an 
upper  class  or  oligarchy.  As  some  families  rose  to  prominence 
here  on  earth,  so  their  fairy  gods  ascended  in  the  heavens.  And 
when  these  upper  classes  went  down,  down  went  their  gods  with 
them.    So  closely  is  heaven  and  earth  connected. 

The  morals  under  Polytheism  are  not  much  different  from 
those  in  Fairyland,  but  the  gods  are  more  distant  than  the  fairies, 
only  occasionally  visiting  the  earth.  This  is  especially  the  case 
with  the  gods  on  Olympus,  Valhalla  is  nearer  the  earth  and  the 
earthly  origin  of  gods  in  Valhalla  is  more  easily  discernible. 

Asgard,  the  home  of  the  gods  of  the  Norse  mythology,  was, 
as  the  name  implies,  only  an  idealized  farm.  (Asur,  the  family 
name  of  these  gods.  Card,  a  farm  or  homestead). 

The  myths  of  Northern  Europe  were  most  likely  created  be- 
fore the  races  of  these  regions  had  any  cities,  so  instead  of  a  Holy 
City,  the  Jerusalem  that  is  above,  they  imagined  a  Holy  Farm— As- 
gard—on  high.  Valhalla  was  only  a  feature  of  that  farm,  a  hall 
of  festivities  answering  the  purpose  of  a  guild  hall  of  a  later 
period,  or  of  a  saloon  or  a  club  of  the  present  day.  The  gods 
were  not  primarily  conceived  of  as  rulers.  Their  relation  to  men, 
their  descendants,  was  that  of  powerful  friends  and  protectors, 
especially  of  the  better  class,  that  is,  of  the  aristocracy.  None  of 
the  gods  were  perfect.  One  was  wise,  one  was  strong,  one  was 
swift  and  so  on.  Nor  were  they  moral  in  the  sense  of  being 
obedient,  like  law-abiding  citizens  or  in  any  other  sense.  On  the 
contrary,  they  were  quarrelsome,  wilful  and  capricious,  as  powerful 
individuals  among  men  generally  are.  In  Norse  mythology,  only 
one  god.  Balder,  was  good.  So  the  myth-makers  made  him  die 
young,  and  related  how  a  blind  god  killed  Balder  unintentionally 
during  a  game.  Balder  went  to  hell  as  good  gods  generally  do. 
The  good  never  do  well.  Gods,  as  a  rule,  have  been  spoken  of  as 
immortal,  but  the  gods  in  Valhalla  were  not  supposed  to  be,  and 
among  the  myths  of  these  gods  was  the  prophecy  of  "Ragnarok," 
or  the  destruction  of  the  god  or  the  twilight  of  the  gods,  as  it  is 
sometimes  translated.  This  is  a  novel  feature  and  worth  noting 
since  the  prophecy  came  true.  Where  is  now  Odin,  Thor,  or  Frey  ? 
Gone  and  forgotten.  Only  the  names  of  some  of  our  week  days 
remain  to  remind  us  that  they  once  were.  But  wisdom  did  not  die 
with  the  one-eyed  Odin — his  eye  was  single.  War  did  not  come  to 
an  end  with  Thor,  nor  industry  with  Frey.  And  Balder,  the  good 
god,  like  the  poor,  we  shall  always  have  with  us. 


IDLE  THOUGHTS  135 

As  it  happened  to  the  mortal  gods  of  Norsemen,  so  it  hap- 
pened to  the  immortal  gods  of  Greeks  and  Egyptians.  They  are 
gone. 

Once  upon  a  time,  Egyptian  priests,  no  doubt,  pointed  to  the 
magnificent  temples  as  a  visible  proof  of  the  existence  of  their  gods 
as  priests  today  point  to  the  church  buildings  as  a  proof  of  the 
truth  of  their  religion.  Gods  die  hard,  but  they  die.  The  Romans 
clung  to  their  gods  long  after  all  faith  in  them  was  gone  and  it 
came  to  pass  that  their  priests  could  not  look  at  each  other  with- 
out laughing.  At  last  Romans  played  "duck  on  the  rock"  with  the 
heads  of  idols  whom  their  forefathers  had  revered.  Many  beau- 
tiful statutes  were  thus  destroyed  and  we  cannot  help  but  regret 
that  the  Romans  did  not  in  time  relegate  their  mythologies,  like 
other  fairy  tales,  to  the  nurseries. 

MONOTHEISM 

In  Polytheism,  one  god  was  generally  recognized  as  the  head 
of  the  family  of  gods,  and  this  naturally  lead  to  the  idea  that  there 
is  only  one  god.  "Hear  Israel,  the  Lord  God  our  God  is  one." 
It  is  a  centralization  of  power  that  is  and  must  be  the  envy  of  all 
imperialists.  Despotism  of  any  kind  has  in  Monotheism  its  strongest 
support.  But  outside  the  family,  nothing  like  perfect  despotism 
has  ever  been  realized.  Emperors,  monarches  or  high  priests  or 
popes,  or  under  what  other  name  this  idea  has  been  embodied,  has 
always  been  obliged  to  share  their  power  with  a  nobility  or  priest- 
hood, and  to  that  extent.  Monotheism  partakes  of  the  characteristics 
of  the  conditions  under  Polytheism,  Only  with  this  difference  that 
the  one  god  became  more  distant  than  the  many  gods,  so  distant 
that  mediators  or  middle  men  were  needed  as  go-betweens — between 
the  common  people  and  God.  Under  Polytheism,  gods  were  the 
friends  and  kindred  of  the  people.  The  one  God  at  last  became 
the  opponent  of  men.  An  idea  already  existing  during  the  reign 
of  the  many  gods  as  instanced  by  the  prometheus  myth. 

It  is  natural  and  also  reasonable  to  believe  in  God,  more 
especially  in  one  God.  And  a  simple  faith  in  God  as  the  father  of 
us  all,  who  answers  our  prayers,  ever  ready  to  help  us  in  our  af- 
flictions if  we  do  right,  and  to  sustain  us  in  any  worthy  cause  is  a 
source  of  strength  to  us  individually  and  collectively.  It  is  only 
when  men  begin  to  form  definite  ideas  of  the  Infinite  Father  that 
the  trouble  begins. 

The  Jews  in  their  time  and  ahead  of  their  time,  refused  to 
bow  down  to  gods  made  by  hand,  gods  carved  out  of  wood  and 
stone.      But   instead,    they   made   a   god    in   their    imagination,    a 


136  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

spiritual  god,  an  invisible  idol.  This  innovation  proved  to  be  su- 
perior to  other  gods  and  in  his  name  and  by  his  power  the  many 
idols  of  other  nations  were  overthrown.  And  the  Jews  and  the 
Christians  and  the  Mohammedans  after  them  became  the  greatest 
of  all  idoiators. 

The  god  made  by  the  Jews  was  a  tribal  god  but  the  merging 
of  all  the  national  gods  into  one  god  did  not  change  his  character. 
He  was,  is  still,  and  ever  must  be,  a  tribal  god.  Only  a  personal 
God,  that  is  my  individual  God  can  lift  me  above  the  tribal  god. 
The  idea  of  a  tribal  god  being  one  necessarily  brings  about  war 
between  nations  and  between  factions  within  the  nations. 

The  spirit  of  the  Christian  idoiators  is  fierce.  Witness  the 
fanatical  glare  in  the  eyes  of  a  revivalist,  for  instance,  when  he 
shouts  to  the  crowd,  "Get  down  on  your  knees !  Get  down  on 
your  knees !"  For  this  is  the  sole  desire  of  all  idoiators,  to  bring 
everybody  down  on  their  knees  before  their  idols,  and  their  hatred 
of  those  who  look  calmly  on  is  boundless. 

The  god  of  the  Jews,  Our  God,  is  conceived  to  be  a  perfect 
and  a  Holy  God,  and  the  demand  is  made  that  we  shall  be  perfect 
as  he  is  perfect.    This  demand  makes  sinners  of  us  all. 

Already  the  Greeks  knew  that  if  the  camel  had  a  god,  that 
god  would  be  humpbacked,  and  we  venture  to  guess  that  if  a 
camel  should  create  a  god  in  the  image  of  a  horse,  and  try  to  be 
perfect  as  a  horse  is  perfect,  the  original  sin,  that  he  is  humpbacked, 
would  cling  to  him  still  and  that  no  wonderful  way  of  salvation 
cotild  ever  free  him  from  it.  A  thistle  bloom  and  a  bumble  bee 
are  both  perfect,  but  if  the  bloom  should  try  to  fly  and  the  bee 
would  want  to  sit  on  a  stalk  and  bloom,  both  would  be  failures. 

Today  we  witness  the  same  spectacle  as  that  unfolded  in 
the  declining  days  of  the  Roman  gods.  Instead  of  preparing  for 
the  reception  of  the  Son  and  Heir  to  Jehovah,  many  of  our  leading 
men  cling  to  phases  of  thought  which  laboring  men  W'Ould  be 
ashamed  to  acknowledge  and  which  school  boys  no  longer  entertain, 
and  all  in  vain.  To  be  sure,  there  is  a  class  affinity  between  Jehovah 
and  the  capitalists.  And  when  they  operate  with  watered  stock, 
they  are  like  the  austere  nobleman  in  the  gospel  parable  of  whom 
it  was  said,  "Thou  takest  up  that  which  thou  layest  not  down,  and 
reapest  that  which  thou  didst  not  sow."  But  in  pinning  their  faith 
on  Christianity,  are  they  not  supporting  themselves  on  a  crumbling 
wall  ?  We  cannot  help  but  regret  that  the  class  mentioned  does  not 
seem  to  be  ahve  to  their  opportunities  or  to  have  grasped  the  situ- 
ation. They  are  radical  enough  in  their  private  affairs,  and  if 
they  applied  the  same  radicalism  toward  a  needed  social  re-adjust- 


IDLE  THOUGHTS  137 

ment,  it  would  follow  swift  and  sure.  We  are  so  used  to  thinking 
of  any  reform  movement  as  originated  from  below  that  we  forget 
that  great  changes  often  have  been  inaugurated  from  above.  To 
mention  only  a  recent  example,  the  transformation  of  Japan  into 
a  modern  state. 

Upper  classes  derive  their  main  strength  from  an  estima- 
tion in  the  minds  of  the  multitude,  that  in  spite  of  all  their  faults, 
intellectually,  they  are  superior.  For  such  is  the  pride  of  intellect, 
that  if  we,  for  example,  meet  a  man  today  who  believes  as  our 
forefathers  did  that  the  earth  is  flat,  and  sometimes  we  meet  such, 
we  cannot  help  but  feel  that  he  in  some  respects  is  inferior,  no 
matter  how  excellent  a  character  he  otherwise  may  be.  And  when 
we  read  in  the  newspapers  that  great  financiers  attend  Bible  con- 
ferences, or  that  the  "Men  and  Religion  Forward  Movement,"  is 
supported  from  Wall  Street  we  cannot  help  but  feel  that  the  cap- 
italist class  is  either  stupid,  or  that  they  act  from  motives  that  are 
not  honorable.  In  both  cases,  it  affects  us  as  a  confession  of  weak- 
ness on  their  part. 

When  the  real  master  in  any  trade  or  profession  is  the  leader 
all  those  who  follow  that  trade  or  profession  feel  it  an  honor  to 
follow  his  leadership  and  act  according  to  his  direction.  If  an 
inferior  is  put  at  the  head  of  any  concern,  strife  and  contention 
follows.  So  also  in  national  affairs.  And  the  social  unrest  we 
read  about,  and  of  which  we  are  all  of  us  more  or  less  aware,  is 
caused  not  so  much  by  an  unequal  distribution  of  wealth  as  by  a 
conviction  gaining  ground  that  the  leading  men  of  the  nation  are 
not  upright  men,  especially  in  regard  to  religious  matters. 

The  best  men  shall  be  the  leaders.  This  is  the  more  or  less 
conscious  demand.  To  serve  a  higher  cause  or  follow  the  leader- 
ship of  higher  men  is  ennobling.  To  surrender  to  the  lower  as  rep- 
resented by  adherents  to  outgrown  idols,  material  or  spiritual,  is 
a  disgrace. 

The  disgrace  of  such  an  act  is  more  clearly  seen  at  a  public 
demonstration  of  hypnotism.  No  one  who  has  witnessed  a  per- 
formance of  that  kind  will  deny  that  it  is  a  disgraceful  act,  both 
on  the  part  of  the  hypnotist  and  that  on  the  part  of  those  who  sur- 
render their  will  to  his  will,  and  in  this  hypnotic  state  are  made 
fools  of  or  by  their  surrender  make  fools  of  themselves. 

And  have  we  not  the  same  feeling  at  a  revival  ?  Is  it  not  with 
a  sense  of  shame  that  we  see  human  beings  like  ourselves  come 
under  the  hypnotic  influence  of  a  revivalist  and  surrender  their  will 
or  give  their  heart  to  God,  as  it  is  called.  Verily,  the  "sawdust 
trail"   is   more   damaging   to   character   than   the   saloon   and   the 


138  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

brothel.  It  goes  deeper.  And  this  shameless  traffic  in  human 
souls  meets  the  approval  of  leading  men  in  the  community,  and 
that  of  the  pulpit  and  the  press,  largely  controlled  by  the  same 
men. 

This  traffic  is  similar  to  the  sale  of  indulgences  by  the  Monk 
Tetzel  in  the  time  of  Luther.  There  it  was  purgatory  and  now 
it  is  the  unpardonable  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost  that  is  used  to 
scare  the  wits  and  the  money  out  of  the  poor  in  spirit.  Tetzel, 
by  his  sale  of  indulgences  and  in  his  zeal  to  raise  money,  probably 
went  beyond  what  was  authorized  by  the  Catholic  Church,  but  it 
can  at  least  be  said  in  his  favor  that  it  was  for  an  ideal  purpose, 
the  building  of  a  beautiful  cathedral.  The  revivalist  traffic  in  salva- 
tion has  no  such  purpose  and  is  equally  disgusting  and  the  Pro- 
testant church  by  supporting  such  traffic  have  laid  themselves  open 
to  the  same  charges  of  corruption  as  the  Catholic  church  did  by 
tolerating  the  traffic  of  Tetzel. 

The  hypnotic  power  or  the  power  of  suggestion  which  is  a 
religious  force,  however,  is  not  and  has  not  always  been  misused. 
It  has  been  and  is  used  as  a  means  of  healing  and  refining.  So 
also  the  worshiping  of  an  image  of  a  higher  being,  be  that  being 
a  god  or  a  man,  and  be  that  image  material  or  spiritual,  has  been  a 
means  towards  civilizing  people  and  no  doubt  shall  be  so  in  the 
future. 

But  when  we  outgrow  certain  gods  and  forms  of  worship,  we 
must  create  new  forms  of  worship,  in  conformity  with  our  new 
ideas  of  God  and  Heaven,  and  leave  the  old  forms  to  those  who 
still  need  them. 

The  twilight  of  our  God  is  nigh.  But  still  the  will  to  believe 
in  the  old  idol  hangs  heavily  on  our  hearts  like  the  seeds  from 
which  they  sprang  hangs  heavily  on  the  tops  of  the  beans  just 
sprouting.  Perhaps  all  that  can  be  expected  of  us  is  that  we  shall 
serve  as  stalks  on  which  some  giant  killer  in  the  future  shall  climb 
up  to  heaven  and  kill  that  Ogre. 

PUBLIC  OPINION 

No  one  denies  the  existence  or  the  power  of  that  god.  When 
awakened,  public  opinion  carries  everything  before  it,  completely 
overpowering  the  will  and  judgment  of  mere  individuals.  This  is 
strikingly  illustrated  in  times  of  panic,  when  intelligent  men  lose 
their  heads,  and  also  in  times  of  war,  when  believers  in  universal 
brotherhood  are  turned  into  soldiers  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye. 

The  soul  of  a  crowd  which  constitutes  public  opinion  may  be 
lacking  in  intelligence,  but  it  has  a  heart.     If  a  wireless  message 


IDLE  THOUGHTS  139 

from  the  crew  of  a  sinking  ship,  reaches  that  of  another  ship  or  a 
people  at  shore,  an  effort  will  be  made  to  save  it.  So  in  other 
perilous  positions.  If  people  can  reach  them,  they  are  saved.  But 
it  has  no  real  will  of  its  own,  only  a  deep  desire  that  something 
should  be  done.  Therefore  the  crowd  loves  the  man  who  wills, 
no  matter  what.  Hence  the  power  of  all  Napoleons.  Although  this 
soul  of  the  crowd  has  been  imposed  upon  and  misused  again  and 
again,  its  demoniacal  or  fanatical  strength  should  not  be  despised 
as  a  last  resort.  For  neither  love  nor  fury  is  blind.  When  the 
gentle  light  of  intelligence  fades  from  the  eyes  it  is  superseded  by 
the  fierce  glow  of  instinct,  and  an  end  is  attained. 

At  the  same  time,  for  my  own  safety  and  for  the  safety  of 
civilization,  it  seems  desirable  that  the  power  of  the  individual  be 
increased  and  that  of  the  crowd  diminished. 

And  the  founders  of  our  republic  recognized  this,  that  the 
individual  shall  have  the  freedom  to  create  or  change  the  public 
opinion  to  the  extent  of  his  will  and  ability,  and  that  his  connection 
with  the  soul  of  the  community  shall  not  be  severed.  So  we  are 
granted  the  right  of  free  speech  and  a  free  press,  and  we  in  our 
eternal  vigilance  must  avail  ourselves  of  our  freedom,  and  see  to 
it  that  the  lines  of  communication  are  kept  open  and  that  the  ad- 
vertising mediums  are  not  monopolized. 

All  idols,  material  and  spiritual,  derive  their  power  from 
public  opinion  about  them  and  our  attitude  towards  idols  or  gods 
of  that  kind  shall  be  the  same  as  our  attitude  towards  public 
opinion.  How  far  I  ought  to  surrender  to  it  and  how  far  I  ought 
to.  oppose  it  must  be  an  individual  question  which  no  one  but  myself 
can  answer.  For  some,  perhaps  the  majority,  the  question  does 
not  present  itself  since  they  have  no  opinion  at  variance  with  the 
public  opinion,  but  for  some  at  least,  it  shall  be  a  question  of  gain- 
ing the  world  and  losing  their  souls  or  losing  their  souls  and  gain- 
ing the  world, 

REFLECTIONS 

What  enables  me,  I,  who  am  the  real  I.  to  look  calmly  on,  is 
intelligence.  By  this  reflector  we  can  view  existence  under  a 
peculiar  angle  that  detaches  us  from  the  instinctive  life  and  leaves 
us  free  to  act  upon  it,  and  if  we  so  choose,  go  contrary  to  its  ways. 
The  simple  act  of  winking  an  eye  when  there  is  no  outward  cause 
for  doing  so,  reveals  its  nature,  and  by  its  use  our  character  is  re- 
vealed. It  is  particularly  human.  If  we  saw  an  animal  wilfully 
close  one  eye  when  looking  at  us,  we  would  be  horror  stricken, 
realizing  that  the  brute  had  human  sense. 


140  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

Intelligence  is  a  fatal  gift  as  it  lifts  us  above  the  physical 
world  and  its  continuation  the  spiritual  world.  It  enables  a  man 
even  to  rise  above  himself  so  he  can  look  down  upon  himself  and 
study  himself  and  the  laws  of  his  being. 

Intelligence  may  be  regarded  as  a  sixth  sense  by  which  I  be- 
hold the  impressions  of  the  other  senses  as  a  whole.  Like  a  lens 
that  unites  the  prismatic  colors  into  one  white  light,  intelligence 
finds  unity  in  diversity  as  the  saying  is.  It  is  destructive.  As 
the  colors  of  the  rainbow  by  a  lens  uniting  them  are  destroyed, 
so  the  forms  of  life,  unified  by  intelligence,  are  in  a  certain  sense 
done  away  with.  Look  what  happened  to  fairies,  goblins,  gnomes, 
etc.  Our  intelligence  killed  them.  We  see  the  trend,  first  fairies, 
then  the  many  gods,  then  the  one  god,  then  monism  and  at  last, 
Nirwana.  But  if  we  imagine  that  the  blighting  effect  of  intelligence 
stops  with  the  destruction  of  the  creation  of  our  fancy,  we  are  very 
much  mistaken.  Thoughts,  like  clouds,  obscure  our  vision  but 
when  our  mental  sky  shall  be  clear,  when  we  are  enlightened, 
then  we  shall  know  without  thinking  that  the  physical  world  as  well 
is  nothing  but  "Maja''  or  illusion.  So  we  are  told.  But  I  also 
know  without  thinking  that  I  am,  even  if  I  don't  think.  I  may  be 
unconscious,  but  still  I  am.  So  the  physical  world  is,  even  if  no  one 
knows  it  v/ith  that  particular  knowledge,  which  is  gained  by  intelli- 
gence. And  as  that  knowledge  cannot  destroy  the  physical  world, 
neither  can  it  destroy  the  children  of  my  fancy  as  such.  And  if  they 
are  given  form,  as  creations  of  art  and  industry  or  institutions,  or 
mechanical  devices,  etc.,  they  attain  life  and  reality  and  exert  a 
greater  influence  than  physical  beings.  And  are  not  the  creation 
of  spiritual  beings  and  the  faith  in  certain  spiritual  beings,  just 
as  inevitable  under  certain  conditions  as  the  appearance  of  certain 
species  of  plants  and  animals  must  be  inevitable  under  given  con- 
ditions. And  so  is  their  disappearance  inevitable  under  certain 
other  conditions. 

"He  that  increaseth  knowledge  increaseth  sorrow."  So  it  is  said 
and  to  some  extent  that  is  true.  Because  the  knowledge  dependent 
on  intelligence  makes  me  aware  of  the  rights  and  the  sorrows  of 
others  and  puts  me  under  the  obligation  of  setting  right  that  which 
by  my  knowledge  has  become  part  of  myself.  From  this,  however, 
it  must  not  be  implied  that  knowledge  necessarily  makes  gloomy 
or  pessimistic.  The  sadness  comes  only  from  a  lack  of  knowledge 
of  what  to  do  in  a  new,  a  painful  or  perplexing  situation.  When 
we  have  found  what  we  think  is  reasonable  to  do  under  the  cir- 
cumstances, and  have  decided  to  follow  that  course,  we  go  on  our 
way  rejoicing. 


IDLE  THOUGHTS  141 

From  these  considerations,  it  follows  that  intelligence,  like 
the  lesser  senses,  is  only  a  light  on  our  way.  What  we  shall  do  by 
the  help  of  light,  is  another  question.  It  tends  to  make  us  neutral, 
but  in  the  world  of  phenomena,  is  it  not  wicked  to  be  neutral  ? 

He  that  sitteth  in  heaven  shall  laugh.  Maybe.  But  if  he 
shuts  the  door  for  anyone,  it  is  a  wicked  laughter.  And  laughter 
can  be  extremely  wicked,  and,  as  caused  by  intellis^ence,  de- 
structive. For  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  laughter  is  more  prevalent 
among  the  simple  minded,  and  that  we  have  laughing  idiots,  it  is 
nevertheless  a  sign  of  intelligence.  Animals  don't  laugh.  Laughing 
hyenas  is  only  a  figure  of  speech. 

Professionals,  business  men  and  great  financiers  and  politicians 
do  not  laugh  much  at  least  not  in  public,  but  that's  probably  only 
their  policy.  Heroes,  we  presume,  laugh  only  at  great  occasions. 
We  have  heard  about  homeric  laughter.  Innocent  laughter  is  god- 
like and  even  more  destructive  than  wicked  laughter.  When  we 
can  laugh  innocently  at  the  gloomy  ghosts  of  the  past  and  at  the 
pretentions  of  pretenders  of  the  present  time  we  are  saved.  This 
laughter  should  not  be  ascribed  to  a  lack  of  seriousness  or  lack  of 
reverence  on  the  part  of  men.  Towards  that  which  is  genuine 
and  true  or  can  be  held  as  genuine  and  true  at  a  given  stage  of  en- 
lightenment, man  has  always  felt  reverence,  and  always  will. 

Far  be  it  from  me  to  underestimate  the  value  of  truth,  but  let 
not  our  love  of  truth  blind  us  to  the  fact  that  lies  have  a  legitimate 
place  in  the  general  makeup  of  things.  There  is  a  difference  be- 
tween an  axiom  and  a  dogma  as  there  is  a  difference  between  the 
God  of  Truth  and  the  Father  of  Lies,  but  the  God  that  is  all  in 
all  and  All  must  necessarily  be  the  author  of  both.  Recognizing  lies 
as  legitimte,  we  shall  have  done  away  with  the  necessity  of  parading 
the  creations  of  our  imagination,  in  the  garb  of  truth  and  we  shall 
have  made  it  easier  to  draw  a  distinct  line  between  what  is  self 
evident  and  what  can  be  proved  or  demonstrated  on  the  one  hand 
and  what  on  the  other  hand  is  not  true  in  that  sense  or  beyond 
our  comprehension,  but  as  a  theory  or  poem  is  satisfactory  to  our 
reason,  our  sense  of  justice,  our  sense  of  beauty. 

It  is  hardly  correct  to  say  that  we  love  truth.  We  want  to 
know,  which  is  a  different  thing.  A  problem  solved  does  not  in- 
terest us  any  more,  it  cannot  hold  our  attention.  We  live  by  doubt, 
and  where  there  is  a  hole  in  our  knowledge,  there  inventors,  in- 
vestigators and  higher  critics  are  sure  to  congregate.  We  love 
truth  only  as  our  property,  and  if  it  was  threatened  by  thieves,  we 
should  defend  it.  But  how  can  anyone  take  away  from  me  what 
I  know  ?  What  I  know  is  a  treasure  laid  up  in  heaven.  A  treasure 
that  moth  and  rust  cannot  corrupt  nor  thieves  break  in  and  steal. 


142  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

The  craving  to  know  is  insatiable.  Province  after  province  is 
added  to  the  empire  of  knowledge,  but  there  are  holes  left  open  to 
be  filled  with  faith.  Every  mother  will  testify  that  it  is  easier  to 
satisfy  a  child's  hun^2:er  for  food  and  drink,  than  to  satisfy  its 
craving  to  know.  Everlastingly,  children  ask  "Why?"  With  large 
eyes,  and  heads  so  big,  so  way  out  of  proportion  to  the  size  of 
their  bodies,  what  are  they  but  live  interrogation  marks?  And 
soon  the  mother's  supply  of  knowledge  is  not  sufficient  and  the 
children  must  be  fed  with  substitutes.  "Who  made  me?  Where 
did  I  come  from  ?"  These  are  common  questions,  and  the  common 
answers,  "God  made  you"  and  "The  stork  brought  you"  satisfy 
most  children.  The  naked  truth  in  many  matters  for  most  children, 
would  be  more  perplexing  and  less  satisfying.  But  there  are  ex- 
ceptional children  who  would  perceive  that  these  answers  were 
only  evasions.     For  them  the  naked  truth  would  be  better. 

It  is  a  serious  matter,  and  may  prove  a  permanent  injury  to 
some  children,  to  have  their  faith  in  their  parents  and  elders  broken. 
And  there  is  something  beautiful  in  this:  The  children  looking  to 
their  elders  for  information  with  a  perfect  trust  that  they  shall 
receive  the  truth ;  and  something  pathetic  in  this,  that  our  limited 
knowledge  and  other  considerations,  makes  lying  necessary.  Sooner 
or  later  the  discovery  comes  that  they  have  been  imposed  upon. 
In  minor  matters,  as  those  referred  to  above,  an  intelligent  child 
will  see  that  they  were  harmless  and  necessary.  But  when  it  comes 
to  more  elaborate  fabrications  of  the  imagination  like  the  prevailing 
religious  systems,  it  is  a  more  serious  matter.  For  it  comes  in- 
evitable to  many  a  young  man,  this  discovery,  that  in  order  to  suc- 
ceed in  certain  careers,  it  is  necessary  to  play  the  hypocrite,  or 
cater  to  public  opinion,  and  if  he  is  so  constituted  that  he  is  subject 
to  truth,  this  discovery  shall  have  a  blightcning  effect  on  him. 
Though  he  knows  not  exactly  how  it  happened,  yet  he  shall  feel 
that  the  world  in  which  he  dreamed  of  making  a  success,  is  not 
the  same  world  any  more.  Its  glory  has  passed  away.  Few, 
perhaps,  are  so  constituted,  but  for  those  who  cannot  compromise 
with  their  conscience,  it  becomes  imperative  that  they  create  a 
simple  or  complex  faith,  so  it  be  after  their  own  heart  and  social 
forms  where  that  faith  and  their  loyalty  to  truth  as  they  see  it  shall 
be  a  help  instead  of  a  hindering  in  their  social  ambition. 

Once  upon  a  time  the  blank  spaces  in  our  knowledge  were 
many  and  wide.  These  were  the  glorious  times  for  myth-makers. 
Now  there  is  hardly  an  opening  left.  For  we  are  bound  to  com- 
plete with  lies  what  we  lack  in  knowledge.  Gods  and  the  wonderful 
stories  of  creation  and  the  days  of  doom  filled  the  gaps.     There, 


IDLE  THOUGHTS  143 

too,  the  fishers  of  men  spread  out  their  nets.  To  have  faith  in 
their  stories  was  the  way  to  salvation.  Faith  was  essential.  Now 
faith  is  the  substance  of  things  hoped  for,  and  faith  as  a  substitute 
for  knov/ledge  is  all  right,  so  long  as  we  consider  it  like  a  scientist 
considers  a  hypothesis  or  working  theory  which  he  is  ready  to  dis- 
card the  moment  it  does  not  work  any  more,  a  theory  he  is  free  to 
invent  and  which  it  is  sometimes  necessary  to  invent  until  he  has 
the  naked  truth.  But  if  we  accept  faith  as  the  substance  of  the 
things  hoped  for  and  let  it  go  at  that,  we  shall  never  have  the  real 
thing.  Faith  in  Utopias,  for  an  example,  shall  not  bring  them 
about.  A  doubt  so  great  that  nothing  but  seeing  them  realized 
shall  ever  convince  us  that  such  things  can  be,  is  required,  and  we 
have  all  reason  to  believe  that  such  a  doubt  exists  in  many  minds. 

Faith  as  a  substitute  for  knowledge  can  never  be  fully  satisfy- 
ing, and  there  is  always  a  saving  element  of  doubt  mixed  with  it. 
"Is  my  faith  firm  enough  and  have  I  the  right  faith  ?"  And  this  is 
the  advantage  of  faith  over  knowledge,  that  it  leaves  room  for 
doubt,  and  that  it  gives  to  existence  a  speculative  value,  and  to  all 
a  gambling  chance. 

A  new  truth  or  new  discovery  is  not  and  cannot  be  opposed  to 
or  out  of  harmony  with  what  we  already  know.  But  filling  the 
holes  in  our  knovvdedge  with  new  knowledge  must  necessarily  alter 
the  shape  of  that  which  has  been  accepted  as  a  substance  for  truth. 
Therefore  all  who  live  by  faith  or  put  their  hopes  on  what  has 
been  accepted  by  faith  as  equivalent  to  truth  invariably  oppose  the 
seekers  for  knov/ledge.  Sneeringly  the  faithful  defenders  of  faith 
spoke  of  the  so-called  science,  now  the  mortal  mind  is  derided. 

Great  indeed  is  the  power  of  faith.  One  who  is  hypnotized 
into  the  belief  that  a  chair  is  a  dog,  when  told  to  examine  the  object 
and  does  so,  while  still  in  the  hypnotic  state,  finds  by  examining 
the  chair,  convincing  proof  that  it  is  a  dog.  Here,  to  begin  with, 
he  finds  the  four  legs,  and  then  the  back  of  the  chair  is  sticking  up 
like  a  tail,  so  he  is  ready  to  swear,  "By  God,  it  is  a  dog." 

A  better  way  to  escape  the  tyranny  of  faith  than  by  investigat- 
ing it,  is  to  examine  another  faith.  For  a  Christian,  the  Moham- 
medan faith,  for  instance.  In  Mohammed  he  meets  a  character  that 
probably  will  appeal  to  him  more  than  Jesus  and  the  Arabian  con- 
ception of  the  one  and  only  God  may  be  more  to  his  liking  than  the 
Jewish  idea  of  the  same  personality.  But  here  we  shall  run  another 
risk.  It  has  happened  to  the  translators  of  the  Koran  that  they 
have  been  converted  to  Mohammedanism.  The  Bible  has  the  same 
power  to  hypnotize.  Let  an  atheist  read  the  Psalms  of  David 
several  days  in  succession,  and  the  chances  are  he  shall  come  under 


144  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

the  influence  of  the  faith  by  which  they  were  inspired.  So  he 
at  last  shall  almost  feel  the  holy  presence  of  Jehovah.  But  so  also 
by  reading  the  work  of  those  who  sought  or  are  seeking  truth 
rather  than  salvation,  I  shall  be  delivered  from  faith,  even  the 
faith  that  faith  is  necessary  for  my  happiness. 

Now  let  us  suppose  that  the  temple  of  truth  is  complete,  the 
empire  of  knowledge  all-embracing.  In  other  words,  that  we  know 
everything,  that  there  is  no  room  for  doubt.  The  condition,  we 
imagine,  would  then  be  similar  to  the  condition  prevailing  when 
man  imagined  that  he  had  a  perfect  faith,  a  faith  that  left  no  room 
for  doubt.  There  was  no  escape  from  it  and  mankind  was  im- 
prisoned in  it  for  hundreds  of  years.  So  in  our  temple  of  truth 
we  should  be  imprisoned.  And  what  escape  is  there  from  the  con- 
clusions of  science,  when  our  knowledge  shall  be  complete? 

It  is  told  of  the  ancient  builders  of  temples  that  they  never 
made  their  structures  fully  complete,  they  always  left  out  one 
stone.  May  not  the  idea  of  this  have  been  that  they  realized 
that  completeness  is  not  perfection,  that  perfection  requires  that 
there  be  one  weak  spot  where  it  as  a  seed  may  sprout  and  give  birth 
to  a  new  and  grander  sanctuary,  involving  its  own  destruction. 

I  am  that  weak  spot  in  the  temple  of  truth.  I  am  by  science 
reduced  to  nothing.  But  as  the  mysterious  nothing  I  am  that  out 
of  which  everything  that  is,  proceeds.  I  can  do  what  is  unreason- 
able and  am  therefore  not  subject  to  the  laws  of  nature.  I  am 
the  hole  in  our  understanding  that  scientists  cannot  fill.  I  am  the 
door,  I  am  the  way.  And  if  it  becomes  necessary,  I  shall  throw 
my  soul  as  an  invisible  stone  into  the  heavens  and  accidentally 
hit  something  that  shall  change  the  course  of  human  events. 

To  quote  the  words  of  Immanuel  Kant,  "I  am  responsible  only 
to  myself;  I  must  follow  none  other;  I  must  not  forget  myself 
even  in  my  work;  I  am  alone,  I  am  free,  I  am  lord  of  myself." 

If  I  surrender  myself  absolutely  to  any  other  power  visible 
or  invisible,  I  have  committed  my  last  crime  and  will  probably  get 
peace,  but  I  am  not  a  moral  being  any  more.  "Thou  to  thine  own 
self  be  true." 

THE  PEARL  OF  GREAT  PRICE 

As  an  individual,  I  come  in  contact  with  many  things,  and  in 
touch  with  my  fellow  beings,  and  all  the  subtle  forces  of  the 
universe.  To  the  extent  which  I  become  aware  of  them,  to  that 
extent  I  may  learn  to  understand  their  ways  and  either  avoid  them 
or  use  them  to  my  or  their  advantage  or  to  my  or  their  destruction. 
And  as  I  am  able  to  enter  into  sympathetic  understanding  of  be- 


IDLE  THOUGHTS  145 

ings  different  from  me,  and  though  they  dwell  in  the  uttermost 
regions,  who  can  separate  me  from  anything  and  who  can  put 
a  limit  to  my  power? 

Complete  consciousness  is  the  pearl  of  great  price.  Like  a 
pearl,  it  is  rarely  perfect,  and  like  a  pearl,  it  is  liable  to  decay. 
Constant  friction,  it  seems,  is  required  to  maintain  its  brilliancy. 
Common  self-consciousness  is  the  common  attribute  of  all  men,  but 
even  that  phase  of  consciousness  varies  greatly  in  different  in- 
dividuals. It  may  be  narrow,'  scarcely  going  beyond  the  boundaries 
set  by  instinct,  or  it  may  be  extended  so  as  to  include  all  there  is. 
I  may  be  conscious  of  the  present  time  only,  and  like  an  animal, 
have  no  consciousness  of  the  past  and  no  dreams  of  the  future. 
Or,  I  may  in  memory  be  conscious  of  the  past  and  in  anticipation, 
be  conscious  of  the  times  to  come.  Again,  I  may  be  conscious 
of  the  outer  world,  or  what  we  speak  of  as  the  real  world,  to  the 
exclusion  of  the  inner  world,  or  spiritual  realities.  In  rare  cases, 
the  reverse  of  this. 

As  a  rule,  attention  and  the  consequent  vivid  consciousness 
of  one  phase  of  existence,  tends  to  exclude  the  consciousness  of 
other  phases. 

Of  these  more  or  less  limited  states  of  consciousness,  what 
we  shall  call  the  Olympian  consciousness  is  the  most  common. 
Generally  speaking',  it  is  the  most  pleasurable  consciousness,  hence 
its  popularity.     It  is  the  consciousness  of  victory  and  success. 

From  the  safe  place,  Olympus,  the  immortal  gods  looked  down 
on  the  struggling  men  without  pity.  To  them  the  struggle  was  an 
amusing  spectacle.  And,  by  the  way,  we  today,  if  we  are  not  per- 
sonally involved,  read  the  war  news  in  a  purely  Olympian  spirit, 
although  we  hate  to  admit  it  and  cover  up  our  lack  of  conscious- 
ness of  the  suffering  caused  by  war  with  a  lot  of  fine  phrases. 

The  consciousness  of  those  who  have  "made  their  pile"  in  most 
cases  is  purely  Olympian.  The  suffering  of  the  poor  does  not 
affect  them. 

But  this  merely  Olympian  consciousness  of  life  as  a  spectacle 
that  does  not  vitally  concern  us  is  apt  to  grow  tedious.  So  we  read 
that  the  gods  occasionally  came  down  to  earth  and  assumed  dif- 
ferent shapes  in  order  to  experience  the  sensations  of  earthly  be- 
ings. Somewhat  for  the  same  reason  and  in  the  same  manner  so- 
ciety folks  go  "  slummiing "  or  assume  the  role  of  laboring 
people  or  tramps.  But  a  god  taking  on  the  shape  of  a  man  still 
retains  his  Olympian  consciousness.  Likewise  a  millionaire  tem- 
porarily playing  the  part  of  a  hobo  retains  the  consciousness  of  the 
rich  man. 


146  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

To  realize  the  consciousness  of  earthly  beings,  they  would  have 
to  forget  that  they  were  gods  and  the  rich  to  experience  the  life  of 
the  poor  would  have  to  forget  that  they  were  rich.  There  is  no 
royal  or  easy  way  to  consciousness,  be  it  the  consciousness  of 
heaven  or  the  consciousness  of  hell. 

To  attain  and  maintain  the  Olympian  consciousness  is  essential 
to  success  in  most  of  our  undertakings.  If  I  allow  the  conscious- 
ness of  the  defeated  to  enter  my  mind,  my  enterprise  is  doomed  be- 
forehand. But  to  maintain  this  godlike  consciousness  in  the  midst 
of  misery  is  no  easy  task.  For  some  it  is  impossible  unless  they 
practice  some  self  deception.  For  example,  by  making  myself  the 
champion  of  the  poor  and  oppressed.  By  this  twist  and  sustained 
by  a  firm  faith  in  the  justice  and  in  the  final  victory  of  my  cause, 
I  shall  gain  Olympus.  Authors  and  orators  who  like  to  dwell  on 
the  subject  of  human  misery,  we  suspect  at  last  comes  to  take  an 
Olympian  delight  in  the  sufferings  of  human  beings,  and  when 
they  speak  of  brotherly  love  we  feel  that  they  themselves  are  not 
troubled  with  it  any  more.  They  have  saved  themselves  if  not 
others,  and  that  is  probably  all  any  one  should  be  expected  to  do. 
If  everyone  did  that,  we  would  all  be  saved.  Probably  no  others 
can  save  us  anyway  and  then  it  is  the  only  way. 

Olympian  consciousness  is  but  another  name  for  class  con- 
sciousness. As  rich,  I  can  maintain  the  blessed  Olympian  attitude 
and  prevent  the  consciousness  of  the  defeated  from  entering  my 
mind  by  making  them  out  to  be  thriftless  drunkards,  and  generally 
speaking,  a  bad  lot  that  richly  deserves  what  is  coming  to  them. 
In  this  we  shall  be  greatly  assisted  by  the  Christian  idea  that  a  few 
only  are  saved  and  that  the  majority  are  doomed  to  everlasting 
hell.  A  purely  Olympian  idea.  But  besides  this  idea  which  favors 
the  present  order  of  things,  Christianity  has  the  other  idea  that 
after  death  things  shall  be  reversed.  The  poor  shall  then  be  in 
heaven  and  the  rich  in  hell.  It  is  this  that  gives  to  Christianity 
its  universal  appeal. 

Socialistic  class  consciousness  is  Christian-like  in  this  that  it 
gives  solace  to  the  suffering  of  the  proletariat  at  present  by  an  an- 
ticipation of  victory  in  a  time  to  come.  No  doubt  the  shrewdest 
members  of  the  capitalist  class  secretly  appreciate  this  religious  or 
Christian-like  attitude  of  socialism  although  they  openly  oppose  it. 
Without  faith  in  socialism  proletarians  and  others  might  take 
matters  in  their  own  hands  and  individually  save  themselves  col- 
lectively, that  is,  in  co-operation  with  men  and  women  of  a  similar 
disposition. 

Leaving  the  Olympian  consciousness,  next  we  shall  consider 


IDLE    THOUGHTS  147 

the  god  consciousness,  or  cosmic  consciousness  as  it  is  sometimes 
called,  but  we  prefer  the  more  familiar  term.  It  is  past  our  under- 
standing. It  is  above  or  below  the  consciousness  awakened  by 
friction.  At  the  same  time  there  must  be  some  kind  of  a  relation- 
ship between  our  common  self  consciousness  and  the  god  con- 
sciousness attained  by  the  few,  a  relationship  that  shall  enable  us 
to  make  a  guess  at  its  nature.  To  begin  with,  as  our  self  conscious- 
ness is  the  outcome  of  the  friction  connected  with  physical  existence, 
so  god  consciousness  must,  in  some  way,  depend  on  the  struggle 
here  below.  In  thought  or  in  imagination  I  am  able  to  rise  above 
the  pains  or  pleasures  caused  by  conflicts  on  the  surface  of  our 
limited  sphere.  But  although  I  am  able  to  rise  above  my  sensa- 
tions, my  ability  to  be  aware  of  these  sensations  has  its  roots  in 
the  struggle  for  existence.  So  also  god  consciousness,  though  it 
lifts  us  above  all  earthly  joys  and  sorrows,  must  in  some  way  de- 
pend on  the  same  struggle.  They  who  remember  their  awakening 
to  self  consciousness  will  probably  agree  with  me  that  it  was  a 
painless  and  exceedingly  joyous  event,  a  liberation.  Nevertheless, 
it  was  acquired  by  friction  and  by  the  suffering,  and  the  struggle 
of  my  ancestors,  my  race.  It  was  bestowed  on  me  as  a  free  gift  and 
heritage.  And  to  increase  this  heritage  or  to  maintain  its  brilliancy, 
new  struggles  and  more  sufferings  are  needed. 

That  pain  increases  the  vividness  of  our  consciousness  has  long 
been  recognized.  Asiatic  adepts  torture  themselves  for  that  pur- 
pose, and  saints  in  western  lands  used  to  do  the  same.  But  to  us 
of  today,  it  seems  more  practical  in  order  to  make  ourselves  suffer, 
and  by  suffering,  polish  our  pearl  of  great  price,  that  we  should 
try  to  do  something  hard  or  almost  impossible,  something  that  shall 
require  all  our  strength  or  preferably  be  beyond  our  power  to 
accomplish.  And  the  humiliation  following  the  failure  of  our 
effort,  when  we  have  become  the  laughing  stock  for  all  our  friends, 
shall  give  us  more  pain  than  the  self  inflicted  wounds  gave  to  the 
flagellants.  And  as  our  self  consciousness  was  gained  by  our 
struggle  against  outward  forces,  may  not  god  consciousness  be 
gained  in  the  same  way? 

The  main  thing  is  to  rise  above  the  pain.  To  the  extent  that 
we  are  able  to  do  so,  we  are  liberated  from  the  limitations  of 
physical  existence.  Take  the  common,  yet  very  painful  experience 
of  a  man  who  receives  "no"  for  an  answer  when  he  wants  to 
marry  a  girl  and  proposes  to  her.  The  excruciating  pain  caused 
by  this  cruel  "no"  is  often  enough  to  drive  a  man  crazy.  And 
many  men  in  madness  will  kill  themselves  or  others.  But  one  with 
a  more  philosophical  mind  or  with  a  consciousness  liberated  by 
previous  painful  experiences  of  this  or  similar  kinds  in  his  en- 


148  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

counter  with  the  opposite  sex  or  other  opposing  forces,  will  often, 
during  such  a  trying  ordeal,  and  somewhat  to  his  surprise,  dis- 
cover that  he  possesses  an  inner  calmness  that  is  never  touched 
by  the  collapse  of  his  dream  of  happiness.  A  discovery  that  amply 
repays  him  for  the  torture  endured.  And  may  it  not  be  so  with 
all  the  bitter  experiences  of  life,  culminating  in  death  itself? 

Now  ascetic  ideals  rest  on  views  like  these,  and  we  cannot  deny 
that  ascetic  practices  strengthen  our  will,  clears  our  consciousness 
and  are  beneficial  to  our  bodies  as  well,  if  not  too  severe.  Rut  this 
holds  good  only  when  it  is  felt  as  a  natural  need,  in  short,  when 
it  is  practiced  at  the  proper  time  and  the  proper  age,  by  proper 
individuals.  In  the  Christian  baptism,  children,  by  proxy,  are  made 
to  renounce  the  devil,  the  flesh  and  the  world,  but  this  renunciation 
is  somewhat  premature.  Everything  in  its  time.  A  higher  con- 
sciousness, artificially  gained,  too,  it  seems,  must  be  somewhat 
premature,  as  the  premature  ripening  of  a  berry  that  has  been  stung 
by  a  poisonous  insect,  or  in  other  ways  maimed.  While  the  flavor 
is  genuine,  the  berry  as  a  whole  cannot  compare  with  those  which 
have  ripened  naturally  in  the  sun.  So  also,  we  infer,  the  souls 
of  those  who  have  ripened  naturally,  and  at  last  pass  away  satisfied 
with  days  are  the  more  fortunate  and  perhaps  shall  reach  a  higher 
state  of  consciousness,  than  those  who  prematurely  killed  their 
desires  for  the  things  of  this  world  instead  of  satisfying  them. 

The  only  advantage  of  this  higher  consciousness  prematurely 
acquired,  is  to  others.  Since  it  is  attained  while  they  are  still  in 
the  flesh,  they  can,  to  us,  their  fellowmen  in  the  flesh,  give  some 
idea  of  this  stage  of  consciousness.  They  who  die  a  natural  death 
are  prevented  from  doing  this,  since  their  awakening  comes  after 
life  has  left  the  body. 

Exceedingly  sweet  are  the  sayings  of  the  god  conscious  men. 
And  the  reality  of  that  state  of  mind  is  proved  by  the  sameness 
of  their  sentiments,  though  widely  separated  in  time  and  space 
like  Laotze,  Buddha  and  Christ,  all  supposed  to  be  god  conscious. 
These  men  were  what  we  should  call  degenerates,  differing  from 
ordinary  degenerates  in  this — and  this  is  a  great  difference — that 
they  attained  ripeness  of  soul  ere  decay  of  the  body  set  in.  There- 
fore, their  words,  like  ripe  seeds  falling  to  the  ground,  give  life 
and  reality  to  the  inner,  the  spiritual  world.  Of  the  three  men- 
tioned the  god  consciousness  of  Laotze  seems  to  have  been  the 
purest.  So  far  as  we  knew,  he  zvilled  nothing.  That  is  the  test. 
For  one  whose  individual  consciousness  is  lost  or  lifted  up  into 
a  consciousness  created  by  all  life  is  beyond  the  pleasure  and  pain 
necessary  to  keep  the  individual  alive  and  cannot  will  any  more. 
To  him,  everything  that  is,  is  good.    Hence  the  peace. 


IDLE    THOUGHTS  149 

We  have  had,  however,  god  conscious  men  who  imagined  that 
they  still  had  a  will.  Only  that  now,  being  at  one  with  the  universal 
will,  everything  went  the  way  they  willed  it.  If  they  wanted  it 
to  rain  in  a  certain  locality,  then  it  rained  there,  if  they  willed  a 
drought  a  drought  there  was  and  so  on.  Perhaps  this  state  of 
consciousness  is  more  common  than  we  at  first  imagine.  Some- 
times we  become  aware  of  it  in  the  presence  of  older  people,  whose 
very  presence  conveys  a  sense  of  perfect  peace  and  contentment. 
They  have  resigned  themselves  to  the  universal  will. 

Buddha  v/illed  and  taught  a  way  to  Nirwana.  This  indicates 
that  he  himself  had  not  yet  fully  arrived.  He  was  on  his  way,  and 
his  followers,  millions  of  them,  overrun  India  as  religious  mendi- 
cants or  tramps,  beating  their  way  to  Nirwana  with  flower-adorned 
begging  bowls. 

There  is  a  limit  to  our  consciousness  of  pleasure.  Passing 
beyond  that  limit,  in  a  moment  of  ecstasy,  it  is  lost.  So  also  there 
is  a  limit  to  what  we  can  sufifer,  and  having  reached  that  limit,  we 
are  made  free.  The  suffering  that  shall  linger  for  the  longest  time 
in  our  memory,  perhaps  beyond  death  and  the  grave,  is  a  sore 
regret,  that  we  did  not  do  what  we  wanted  to  do  the  time  we  had 
the  opportunity.  How  utterly  small  does  not  the  consideration  that 
prevented  us  from  doing  what  we  v.- anted  to  do,  Fcem  after  a  few 
years  have  passed,  and  how  small  shall  not  that  which  we  now 
consider  insurmountable  appear  to  be  in  a  time  to  come. 

Generally  speaking,  god  consciousness  marks  the  beginning  of 
the  end.  It  cannot  carry  us  beyond  ourselves  individually  or  col- 
lectively. That  power  is  given  to  genius  only.  Therefore,  in  our 
own  interest,  and  in  the  interest  of  the  community,  if  we  have 
genius  and  should  feel  god  consciousness  coming  over  us  like  a 
great  gladness,  then  it  is  time  to  summon  all  our  strength  and  nip 
it  in  the  bud. 

The  god  consciousness  of  Christ  Jesus  was  spasmodic.  Occa- 
sionally he  had  to  withdraw  from  the  multitude  in  order  to  regain 
it.  At  last  he  lost  it  entirely:  "My  God,  My  God!  Why  hast  thou 
forsaken  me?" 

Jesus  willed  and  willed  intensely,  to  create  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  and  earth.  This  shows  that  he  was  more  of  a  genius  than 
a  god  conscious  man.  And  as  a  genius  of  that  kind,  he  is  of  special 
interest  to  us,  as  Utopians. 

Although  we  don't  intend  to  follow  the  God  conscious  men,  we 
realize  that  it  would  be  a  great  advantage  to  have  them  with  us 
in  the  flesh.  To  have  them  with  us  always.  Lovable  and  sympa- 
thetic, able  and  willing  to  forgive  sins  and  not  weary  in  well  doing 
as  they  are  they  would  speak  to  us  words  of  comfort  and  joy; 


150  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

words  that  would  dry  away  our  tears,  and  give  us  assurance  of 
an  eternal  life  beyond  sorrow  and  pain.  Their  presence  would  also 
prevent  the  formation  of  priesthoods,  who  can  know  no  more  of 
God,  soul  or  immortality  than  we  know  ourselves.  They  are  only 
middlemen.  If  the  god  conscious  were  with  us,  knowing  their 
sentiment,  any  improvement  in  earthly  conditions  we  shall  be  able 
to  create,  we  feel  sure  would  meet  with  their  approval. 

Jesus  as  the  embodiment  of  the  suffering  Christ,  is  of  special 
interest  to  us.  For  the  idea  of  a  suffering  Christ  has  the  same 
signficance  for  the  social  body  as  pain  for  the  physical  body.  If 
we  recognize  it,  we  may  find  a  remedy  for  it.  If  we  ignore  it,  it 
may  develop  into  a  disease  that  shall  kill  us.  But  first,  we  must 
become  conscious  of  it. 

And  this  is  the  iron  law  that  governs  the  suffering  Christ :  He 
cannot  be  better  off  than  the  poorest  and  most  miserable  member 
of  society.  Therefore,  Jesus  could  truly  say,  "What  ye  have  done 
unto  the  least  of  these  my  brethren,  that  ye  have  also  done  unto  me." 

But  the  sensation  of  pain  shall  not  free  -us  from  it.  If  we, 
like  the  imitators  of  Christ  in  the  mediaeval  times,  inflict  torture 
on  ourselves  in  order  to  suffer  like  he  suffered,  we  shall  only  have 
increased  the  sum  of  suffering,  and  pain  shall  then  have  lost  its 
value  as  a  warning  that  something  is  wrong. 

To  save  Jesus,  to  save  the  suffering  Christ,  this  should  be 
and  must  be  the  aim  of  all  Utopians.  For  in  creating  an  ideal  com- 
monwealth, we  have  also  saved  the  soul  of  him  who  is  conscious 
of  the  suffering  of  all.  Nothing  else  can  save  him.  And  incidental- 
ly this  shall  save  ourselves.  It  was  said  of  Jesus,  that  he  had 
saved  others,  but  himself  he  could  not  save.  Verily,  one  who  is  in 
pain  is  helpless  and  his  judgment  is  distorted  and  his  ways  lead 
to  hell.  A  suffering  Christ  is  anti-Christ.  But  as  pain  may  pro- 
duce a  Buddha  delivered  from  all  earthly  afflictions,  so  Anti-Christ 
must  and,  in  Christ  Jesus,  we  shall  assume,  did  come  first.  But 
in  his  second  coming,  we  shall  behold  a  new,  a  joyful  Christ.  Not 
with  a  crown  of  thorns  on  his  head  shall  we  see  him  in  the  day  of 
resurrection,  but  "with  leaves  of  grapevines  in  his  hair." 

AT  SEA 

Myriad  minded  is  the  layer  of  life  that  clings  to  our  earth  like 
a  changing  garment. 

We  are  at  sea.  An  ideal  condition.  At  sea  v.-e  are  free.  And 
today  we  shall  cruise  near  the  shore  of  the  infinite,  trying  to  dis- 
cover a  new,  an  unknown  God,  mainly  to  get  rid  of  the  old.  He 
was  created  by  the  genius  of  another  race,  a  race  that  was  not 


IDLE    THOUGHTS  1^1 

free,  and  is  therefore  to  us  a  foreign  god.  But  let  not  prejudice 
prevent  us  from  reading  the  Bible.  Many  of  its  ideas  about  God 
shall  be  acceptable  to  us.  The  danger  is  that  in  accepting  some, 
we  be  tainted  by  others  that  are  not  agreeable.  The  best  way  per- 
haps, would  be  to  start  with  the  foolish  thought  that  there  is  no 
god.  Perhaps  our  own  god  can  be  revealed  to  us  only  on  condition 
that  we  discard  that  idea  altogether.  Who  knows  ?  We  are  entirely 
at  sea  in  this  matter.  We,  however,  shall,  for  the  time  being, 
assume  that  there  is  a  God  and  that  he  may  be  found.  But 
let  it  be  understood,  we  are  not  seeking  a  new  faith  but  a  new 
knowledge.  "For  the  earth  shall  be  filled  with  the  knowledge  of 
the  glory  of  the  Lord,  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea."  In  seeking 
knowledge,  we  work  towards  the  fulfillment  of  that  prophecy  by 
the  prophet  Habakkuk.  How  can  we  get  knowledge,  unless  we 
seek  it?  Faith  is  a  delusion  and  a  snare.  We  had  enough  of  the 
doings  of  the  ages  of  faith,  and  more  than  enough  of  the  doctrine 
that  we  are  saved  by  faith  alone,  and  the  equally  absurd  notion 
that  we  need  salvation.  We  are  not  lost,  never  was  and  never 
can  be.  We  are  at  home,  in  the  sea.  By  seeking  we  are  saved, 
though  we  shall  never  reach  our  goal. 

As  for  the  old  tribal  god,  we  only  wish  that  he  would  go 
away  and  take  all  of  his  servants  with  him.  He  was  a  murderer 
from  the  beginning  and  willed  that  his  innocent  son  should  die  on 
the  cross.     That's  enough.     Exit,  Jehovah! 

The  attitude  of  the  whole  organic  world,  especially  the  vege- 
table kingdom  is  a  seeking  upward.  It  may  be  symbolized  into 
the  figure  of  a  little  child,  standing  on  tiptoe  with  outstretched 
arms  and  upturned  face,  striving  to  be  kissed.  It  is  the  attitude 
of  love  and  gives  us  no  enlightenment.  We  shall  therefore  take 
the  attitude  of  an  intelligent  boy  who  has  outgrown  the  fairy  tales, 
and  to  some  extent  overcome  his  affections,  and  for  the  first  time 
looks  up  into  the  face  of  his  father  critically,  not  striving  to  be 
kissed,  but  striving  to  find  out  what  kind  of  man  his  father  is. 

Saint  and  seers  are  pictured  with  upturned  faces  and  a  look 
of  vacancy  in  their  eyes  somewhat  like  the  stare  in  the  eyes  of 
infants.  It  is  the  instinctive  attitude  of  faith  and  trust.  Thinkers 
and  philosophers,  contemplating  creation,  are  like  Cain  pictured 
with  bowed  head,  looking  downward.  This  is  the  natural  attitude 
of  intelligence.  Now  the  attitude  that  v/e  shall  take  is  not  like 
either  of  these  exactly,  but  like  that  of  a  Cain  looking  upward. 
This  attitude  is  rather  irreverent.  It  is  also  unnatural.  For  our 
intelligence,  like  our  senses,  come  to  be  in  our  struggle  with  con- 
crete beings,  and  is  therefore  especially  efficient  in  helping  us  to 
invent  and  use  tools  and  implements.     It  was  not  primarily  meant 


152  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

to  help  us  to  discover  the  laws  of  nature  and  not  at  all  for  the 
purpose  that  we  should  turn  around  and  look  at  our  heavenly  father 
critically.  On  this  account,  we  cannot  expect  very  much  to  begin 
with.  Perhaps  our  first  attempt  shall  be  barren  of  results.  But 
as  our  intelligence  came  to  be  and  grew  by  paying  attention  to 
earthly  affairs,  so  it  may  expand  and  increase  so  as  to  enable  us 
to  get  an  understanding  of  the  heavenly  affairs,  provided  we  turn 
our  attention  in  that  direction,  although  we  at  first  shall  grope  in 
the  dark. 

The  first  impression,  so  to  speak,  that  we  get  of  God,  is  that 
he  is  incomprehensible,  and  to  gain  some  knowledge  of  the  incom- 
prehensible one,  we  try  to  compare  him  with  something  equally 
incomprehensible,  namely,  the  ether.  Some  deny  the  existence  of 
both  of  these,  maintaining  that  these  ideas  are  superfluous.  The 
majority — which  of  course,  cannot  decide  this  matter — seems  to 
be  of  the  opinion  that  a  medium  like  the  ether  is  needed  for  the 
transmission  of  light  waves  and  electrical  currents,  likewise  for  the 
operation  of  gravitation,  and  God,  in  our  opinion,  is  needed  for  a 
successful  operation  of  memory.  Rather  than  speak  of  God  as  the 
supreme  being,  or  the  supreme  intelligence,  we  should  speak  of 
him  as  the  perfect  memory  as  signifying  his  most  useful  or  most 
indispensable  attribute.  If  we  understood  the  mechanism  of  mem- 
ory, our  knowledge  of  God  would  have  been  increased  immensely, 
and  if  that  were  made  clear  to  our  understanding  the  mooted 
question  as  to  the  immortality  of  the  soul  would  also  be  an- 
swered. There  is  a  close  connection  between  the  question  of  the 
existence  of  God  and  the  question  of  the  immortality  of  the  soul. 
Tentatively  we  shall  assume  that  we  live  forever  in  the  memory 
of  God  and  come  to  his  mind  whenever  conditions  are  favorable 
for  our  appearance  in  the  physical  world. 

What  we  cannot  understand  about  God  is  that  he  is  spirit 
and  still  can  have  an  attribute  like  memory,  and  what  we  cannot 
understand  about  the  ether  is  that  it  is  frictionless  and  still  can 
be  something  that  can  act  and  can  be  acted  upon.  Perhaps  it  shall 
help  us  some  to  imagine  that  the  ether  is  like  a  body  and  that  God 
is  the  soul  of  that  body,  a  soul  pervading  that  body  as  that  body, 
the  ether,  pervades  everything.  And  this  soul  or  God,  although 
distinct  from  the  ether,  is  acting  upon  it  or  through  it,  shaping 
the  world  according  to  his  character. 

God  as  a  spirit  filling  all  space  and  meeting  no  resistance  in 
space  cannot  be  conscious  of  space  and  utterly  abandoned  to  his 
own  will,  in  pursuit  of  the  activities  resulting  from  that  will  he 
cannot  be  conscious  of  time  either. 


IDLE    THOUGHTS  153 

Time  moves  at  a  uniform  speed  that  can  be  measured  by 
mechanical  devices  and  carries  everything  that  is  v^ith  it  including 
that  which  exists  in  memory.  A  motorcycle  goes  faster  and  farther 
in  space  than  a  caterpillar,  but  cannot  pass  it  in  time.  In  time  they 
are  equally  present.  To  us  it  appears  that  time  goes  on  and  on- 
ward, but  that  may  be  only  an  illusion  created  by  our  upright 
position  and  our  awakening  to  self  consciousness  in  that  position. 
If  God  was  conscious  of  time  to  him  it  would  appear  that  time 
moved  inward  to  an  infinite  center,  as  it  appears  to  us,  when  we 
lay  us  down  to  sleep.  When  we  die  we  shall  not  feel  that  we  go 
up  to  our  Father.     We  go  in  to  Him  and  we  shall  rest  in  Him. 

Instinctive  life  which  is  nearest  to  the  spirit  of  God  or  most 
nearly  expresses  his  will,  must  to  some  extent,  be  conscious  of 
space,  but  very  imperfectly  of  time.  A  captive  lion,  walking  back 
and  forth  in  its  cage,  having  no  memory  of  the  past  and  no  dreams 
of  the  future  and  unable  to  realize  the  futility  of  its  effort  to  get 
out,  goes  on  and  on  until  it  is  tired,  but  its  vague  longing  to  be 
free  does  not  amount  to  a  consciousness  of  time. 

An  utter  abandonment  to  movement  in  space,  never  looking 
backward  and  never  beyond  what  lies  immediately  ahead  is  the 
attitude  of  all  beings  lower  than  man.  Among  men,  the  speed 
maniac  comes  nearer  to  that  God-like  attitude  and  in  his  joy  ride 
experiences  some  sort  of  communion  with  God,  for  by  abandoning 
himself  to  the  movement  of  his  car,  he  overcomes  space  and  kills 
time,  in  fact,  loses  consciousness  of  both,  and  is  to  that  extent  God- 
like, hence  the  joy.  But  a  speed-maniac  is  not  a  spirit,  and  dis- 
carding intelligence  and  the  cautiousness  it  inspires,  his  joyride  as 
a  rule,  proves  disastrous  to  himself  and  others.  Next  to  that  of  the 
speed  maniac  is  the  career  of  a  business  man,  who  with  God-like 
recklessness,  abandons  himself  to  busmess,  and  without  the  slighest 
regard  for  others,  pursues  his  business,  but  even  his  joy  ride,  most 
likely  shall  be  brief,  and  in  the  end  disastrous. 

This  escape  from  the  consciousness  of  time  we  achieve  when 
we  are  occupied  at  something  that  interests  us.  To  go  the  limit  of 
that  speed  to  which  our  organism  is  capable  in  activities  for  which 
it  is  adapted,  gives  a  consciousness  of  deliverance.  When  we  are 
retarded  or  forced  to  a  standstill  before  our  forces  are  spent,  in 
short,  when  we  have  to  wait,  we  become  painfully  aware  of  time. 

God  is  IT.  Neither  a  he  nor  a  she — and  in  the  soul  of  the 
ether,  the  masculine  and  the  feminine  elements  are  not  equal  in 
strength;  therefore  because  equilibrium  cannot  be  obtained,  the 
strife  which  is  life,  ensues.  The  masculine  being,  the  dominant 
factor  as  evidenced  by  the  males  fighting  for  the  females. 


154  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

In  regard  to  population,  the  consciousness  of  our  Heavenly 
Father  must  be  somewhat  like  the  feeling  of  an  English  poet — 
Lamb,  I  believe  his  name  was- — who,  when  he  was  walking  down 
a  crowded  street,  mingling  with  people,  wept  for  joy  because  there 
were  so  many  of  them.  The  Malthusian  consciousness,  born  of  the 
same  crowded  conditions,  cannot  enter  his  mind. 

As  a  brooding  spirit  moving  upon  the  waters,  the  will  of  God 
is  a  will  to  be  under  every  and  all  conditions,  and  his  will  to  be 
causes  all  the  orderly  movements  and  all  commotion  in  the  cosmos. 
His  creative  genius  is  such  that  if  he  puts  his  attention  on  a  speck 
of  cosmic  dust,  it  begins  to  revolve  in  his  mind  and  grows  into  a 
solar  system.  He  is  self -centered,  and  filling  boundless  space  in 
which  there  can  be  no  absolute  center,  this  characteristic  creates 
bodies  of  a  globular  form.  Necessarily  the  form  of  concentration 
is  a  frictionless  medium.  The  organic  forms  on  the  surface  of  these 
globes  as  observed  on  the  face  of  our  earth  are  more  or  less  elon- 
gated by  the  friction  of  the  medium  in  which  they  move,  be  it  earth, 
air  or  water.  The  eyes  are  the  freest  organs  of  the  bodies  and 
therefore  almost  round.  So  are  seeds  and  eggs,  being  freely  formed, 
approaching  the  globular  forms. 

How  spirit  can  act  upon  matter  is  as  yet  an  unsolved  mystery, 
but  evidently  it  does  so,  somewhat  as  a  magnet  upon  steel,  and 
God  through  his  creatures,  must  be  aware  of  pain  and  pleasure. 
In  other  words,  he  can  feel.  In  the  beginning  of  the  foundation  of 
our  earth,  or  in  the  endless  time  it  has  existed,  if  it  is  eternal,  the 
sum  of  his  sensations,  received  from  the  earth,  would,  we  assume, 
determine  its  position  in  the  frictionless  ether.  So  our  earth  re- 
volves on  an  axis  inclined  towards  the  plane  of  its  orbit,  resulting  in 
the  changing  seasons,  at  an  angle  exactly  like  the  one  which  gives 
to  earth  life  its  maximum  pleasure  and  its  minimum  pain,  com- 
patible with  the  greatest  number  and  the  greatest  variety  of  senti- 
ent beings. 

As  there  is  nothing  in  the  outer  darkness  to  hold  his  attention, 
God  must  necessarily  turn  his  face,  figuratively  speaking,  toward 
the  shining  surfaces  of  the  celestial  globes  where  he  sees  himself 
reflected,  this,  however,  is  rather  a  revelation  than  a  reflection. 
But  we  may  imagine  God  as  beholding  his  image  reflected  on  the 

face  of  the  earth  and  fascinated  thereby  to  a  degree  that  he  is  un- 
able to  tear  himself  away  from  it.  And,  if  this  was  a  myth  making 
age,  we  should  say  that  God  made  valleys,  hill-sides  and  slopes  on 
purpose  to  see  himself  reflected  at  different  angles.  But  if  the 
Supreme  Being  should  look  behind  phenomena,  the  chances  are,  he 
would  be  disappointed  as  a  cat  is  disappointed  when  it  looks  behind 
the  mirror  for  the  cat  it  sees  in  the  glass  and  finds  no  cat  there. 


IDLE    THOUGHTS  155 


Looking  now  towards  the  earth,  the  first  material  that  en- 
counters the  gaze  of  God  is  the  clouds,  and  by  his  will  to  be  the 
vapors  of  which  they  are  composed,  are  immediately  turned  into 
an  image  of  himself  as  far  as  this  material  permits  and  the  snow 
crystals  are  created.  Like  beautiful  flowers  of  pure  water,  the 
snow  crystals  that  live  forever  in  the  memory  of  God,  now  comes  to 
his  mind  since  conditions  are  favorable.  If  God  cares  so  much 
for  a  snow  flake,  could  he  ever  forget  me?  In  other  words,  could 
I  ever  forget  myself  ?  If  my  body  turns  to  dust,  shall  I  not  forever 
be  longing  and  looking  for  its  reappearance,  and  for  all  I  am,  for 
all  I  have  loved  and  lost,  for  everything  that  lives  in  my  memory, 
for  this  is  the  contents  of  my  memory  which  again  is  part  of  the 
perfect  memory  of  God. 

And  since  we  exist  here  on  earth  as  individuals  our  record  in 
the  perfect  memory  must  be  individual  records,  capable  of  being 
reproduced.  Am  I  conscious  of  myself  and  under  what  conditions 
do  I  exist  when  my  soul  is  not  reflected  here  on  earth,  these  are 
the  questions,  and,  using  again  the  idea  that  the  world  of  pheno- 
mena is  a  reflection  of  the  face  of  God,  we  observe,  that  my  own 
consciousness  is  not  immediately  dependent  on  seeing  myself  re- 
flected in  a  mirror.  My  self  consciousness  is  rather  blurred  or  lost 
by  this  contemplation  of  my  image.  So  during  the  seasons  we  do  not 
see  ourselves  reflected  here  on  earth,  our  self  consciousness  perhaps 
is  intensified  and  its  activities  freer  and  larger  for  all  we  know. 
Of  this  life  only  dreams  gives  us  a  faint  idea. 

In  my  memory  too,  lives  those  I  have  wronged  and  those  I 
have  hated.  Perhaps  I  shall  meet  them  again  until  the  wrong  is 
righted  and  the  hatred  appeased,  and  all  sins  forgiven.  It  is  worth 
noting  that  it  is  those  who  died  young  or  died  unhappy  that  we 
more  intensely  desire  to  see  again,  as  this  again  probably  is  the  in- 
nate desire  of  the  soul  of  the  ether  too.  And  this  gives  a  semblance 
of  truth  to  the  saying :  "Blessed  are  ye  that  weep  now,  for  ye  shall 
laugh  ;  Rejoice  ye  in  that  day,  and  leap  for  joy;  for  behold,  your  re- 
ward is  great  in  Heaven."  The  reward  being  this,  that  since  they 
live  more  intensely  in  the  memory  of  God,  their  chances  of  appear- 
ing in  the  flesh  is  greater.  They  gave  God  a  pain  or  caused  him  a 
sorrow,  and  to  rid  himself  of  that  unpleasant  sensation,  this  desire 
puts  them  forth  again  and  again  until  they  become  happy  and  at  last 
shall  be  satisfied  with  days. 

The  immortal  taking  on  mortality  as  when  the  vapors  that  rise 
from  sea  and  land  and  reach  the  higher  regions  where  they  are 
formed  into  crystals,  is  a  simple  process,  and  in  regard  to  the  snow 
crystals,  it  is  not  difficult  to  believe,  in  fact,  we  know  that  if  all  of 
them  should  melt  away,  that  is,  become  extinct,  they  would  again 


156  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

come  into  existence  the  moment  the  elements  and  the  other  con- 
ditions required  were  present.  Equally  simple,  and  equally  mys- 
terious, undoubtedly  is  the  formation  of  the  sunflower,  for  example. 
The  memory  we  might  say,  of  the  sunflower,  the  content  of  its  soul, 
slumbers  in  its  seed,  and  to  that  extent,  it  is  detached  or  made  in- 
dependent of  the  creator  and  the  elements. 

A  seed  falls  to  the  ground,  and  in  due  season  sprouts  and 
struggles  upward,  striving  to  produce  a  flower,  and  when  its  move- 
ment for  a  time  ceases,  its  soul  comes  to  rest — it  slumbers  in 
thousands  of  seeds  similar  to  the  original  and  they  again  fall  to 
the  ground  and  its  history  is  repeated.  Should  the  seeds  contain- 
ing the  record  be  destroyed  and  the  species  become  extinct  here  on 
earth,  it  still  may  bloom  on  other  planets,  and  by  a  reflection  of 
these  here  on  earth,  or  by  some  other  means  by  a  mechanism  of 
memory  unknown  to  us,  be  restored  to  the  earth's  flora. 

More  detached,  more  independent  and  more  different  from 
each  other  is  the  history  of  human  souls  than  those  of  the  sun- 
flower. We  have,  it  seems,  when  it  comes  right  down  to  it,  but  one 
desire,  and  that  is  to  be  what  we  are,  a  desire  that  craves  and  must 
crave  individual,  immortal  existence.  Hjow  this  craving  can  be 
satisfied,  so  far,  God  only  knows,  but  by  seeing  him  face  to  face 
or  his  reflection  in  nature,  sometimes  it  must  dawn  in  ourselves  an 
understanding  of  this  an  understanding,  which  shall  make  us  free. 

As  a  spirit  brooding  over  the  waters  ever  in  the  act  of  be- 
coming conscious  of  himself,  the  will  of  God  bears  down  on  earth 
with  a  steady  push  like  that  of  gravitation,  for  gravitation  is  rather 
a  push  than  a  pull,  and  the  souls  on  earth  meet  the  soul  of  God 
in  an  endless  embrace  and  in  a  creative  moment  of  stillness,  that 
which  is  contained  in  the  memory  of  God,  plus  the  memory  of  the 
experiences  of  earth  life  of  the  creatures  therein  is  realized.  This 
gives  to  God  something  new  and  interesting,  and  from  this,  we  in- 
fer, that  it  pleases  God  to  see  us  get  out  of  the  rut  and  that  even  our 
pains  by  him  is  perceived  as  pleasure.  Innovators  must  be  his 
favorites.  They  sufifer  themselves  or  give  others  pain  for  which  they 
ought  to  be  rewarded  in  Heaven. 

To  turn  our  attention  to  God  and  throw  all  our  burdens  on 
Him  may  be  pleasing  to  us,  but  from  God's  point  of  view,  it  must 
seem  better,  as  it  must  ultimately  be  better  for  us — that  we  should 
act  independently  and  go  as  far  as  we  can,  experiencing  all 
the  joys  and  sorrows  our  peculiar  constitution  under  the  peculiar 
conditions  under  which  we  live  is  capable  of  experiencing  until 
we  sink  exhausted  in  utter  darkness  far  from  the  regions  of  light. 
Thereby  the  consciousness  of  God  is  extended  and  enriched.  De- 
votion, on  the  other  hand,  may  degenerate  into  a  sort  of  parasiteism 
on  the  Godhead. 


IDLE    THOUGHTS  ^^^ 

But  the  Godhead,  itself,  is  an  inexhaustible  field  of  explora- 
tion and  if  our  exploration  of  it  does  not  please  him,  it  shall  prob- 
ably bring  him  down  from  Olympus  and  that  downfall  shall  awaken 
in  him  self  consciousness,  a  consciousness  that  seems  to  be  lacking 
in  the  Godhead.  He  is  still  on  the  instinctive  plane  here  on  earth. 
What  would  happen  if  he  should  gain  that  self  consciousness  and 
a  will  and  an  intelligent  purpose,  no  one  can  tell,  only  we  shall 
guess  that  it  would  be  similar  to  what  happens  in  the  mind  of  a  man 
who  takes  control  of  his  thoughts,  even  to  some  extent  of  his  dream 
life. 

Empirical  psychology  throws  some  light  on  this  subject.  Ac- 
cording to  it,  innumerable  concepts  are  hidden  in  our  memory. 
None  of  them  are  ever  forgotten.  They  are  always  present  in  our 
mind,  clamoring  for  recognition — for  an  opportunity  to  rise  above 
the  threshold  of  consciousness.  Similarly  the  sum  or  totality  of  all 
experience  is  ever  present  in  the  perfect  memory  of  God,  waiting 
to  be  repeated  in  the  physical  world.  Prophets  looking  into  the 
future  are  led  to  believe  that  that  in  which  they  are  interested  is  near 
at  hand,  which  indeed  it  is,  but  its  coming  to  pass  has  nothing  to  do 
with  time  as  measured  by  the  clock.  It  cannot  be  fixed  at  any  point 
in  time,  for  by  my  interest  or  non-interest  I  can  hasten  or  retard 
events.  Artificially,  accidentally,  or  wantonly  individuals  can  force 
things  to  be  here  on  earth. 

Among  these  concepts  are  the  Utopian  ideals — to  keep  to  that 
class — and  as  a  desire  for  something  shall  help  a  concept  hidden  in 
our  memory  to  rise  above  the  threshold  of  consciousness  so  our  in- 
terest in  Utopias  shall  bring  about  their  realization  in  the  realm 
of  reality,  and  lift  them  above  the  dream  life.  Attention  is  the  main 
point.  Prayers,  praise,  condemnations,  all  are  equally  effective  if 
equally  intense.  Condemnations  are  generally  more  heartfelt,  and 
therefore  most  effective  in  fixing  the  attention  on  a  given  concept. 
Prayers  as  a  rule  are  more  luke  warm,  and  therefore  do  not  go 
very  far,  but  every  little  bit  helps.  Concepts  long  forgotten  may 
come  to  our  consciousness  through  vivid  dreams.  So  at  present 
unknown  Utopian  ideals  and  the  means  for  their  introduction  shall 
come  to  us  when  humanity  is  exhausted  as  it  soon  possibly  shall 
be,  or  shall  find  itself  in  a  state  of  a  coma.  Then  those  who  are 
not  exhausted  and  are  awake  to  the  possibilities  of  Utopias  shall 
perhaps  be  able  to  lay  the  foundation  in  many  places  for  ideal  com- 
monwealths that  shall  become  dominant  in  a  day  to  come. 

If  we  praise  God,  that  is  good  for  ourselves,  but  shall  hardly 
make  any  impression  on  him.  The  Jews  assumed  that  it  did;  the 
sum  and  substance  of  the  Psalms,  is  this :  "Lord,  my  heart  is  not 
haughty,  nor  mine  eyes  lofty ;  neither  do  I  exercise  myself  in  great 


158  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

matters,  or  in  things  too  high  for  me."  Now  you  ought  to  do  some- 
thing for  me  in  return  for  all  that  praise.  A  praise  or  rather 
flattery  of  that  kind  cannot  be  agreeable  to  any  great  man,  or  any 
great  God.  Praise  to  have  any  value  must  be  as  from  a  master  to 
his  pupil,  otherwise  it  is  an  impertinence.  All  praise  when  we  come 
right  down  to  it  is  self  praise  and  as  such  may  be  pleasing  to  God 
as  it  is  beneficial  to  ourselves.  I  praise  God  because  he  is  my  God, 
and  my  country,  my  flag,  etc.,  in  the  same  spirit. 

This  praise  of  symbols,  living  or  dead,  prevents  to  some  ex- 
tent the  calamity,  often  overtaking  exceptional  character,  of  be- 
coming the  victims  of  praise,  for  while  it  does  us  good  to  praise 
others,  Gods  or  men,  to  be  praised  ourselves  must  be  put  down 
as  a  misfortune.  Often  we  inflict  a  permanent  injury  on  our  friends 
or  loved  ones  by  praising  them.  For  our,  in  the  opinion  of  others, 
necessarily  excessive  praise,  shall  create  in  these  others  an  an- 
tagonism hard  to  overcome  by  the  victims  of  our  love. 

To  be  appreciated  on  the  other  hand  should  be  pleasing,  both  to 
God  and  man,  and  the  only  way  we  can  show  our  appreciation  of 
W'hat  God  has  done  for  us  is  that  we  should  eat  of  the  Tree  of  Life 
and  drink  of  the  Water  of  Life  freely.  Both  the  animal  and  vege- 
table Kingdom  offers  us  an  abundance  of  good  things.  Almost 
every  family  and  specie  furnishes  us  with  something  good  to  eat 
or  wear:  animals  with  milk  and  butter,  insects  with  honey  and 
silk  mollusea  with  meat  and  pearls,  etc.  God  wills  that  we  should 
satisfy  our  appetites  to  the  full  extent  including  our  hunger  and 
thirst  for  righteousness,  that  is  our  own  righteousness,  likewise  our 
craving  for  freedom. 

Freedom  implies  that  we  rise  above  our  appetites  and  passions. 
At  least  we  must  be  fairly  able  to  control  them.  To  try  to  sup- 
press them  shows  weakness  and  is  wholly  unnecessary  and  often 
fatal  to  our  good  health  and  spirit. 

And  civilization  is  an  attempt  to  rise  above  the  instinctive  life 
and  put  it  under  wise  control.  So  far  this  attempt  has  proved  to  be  an 
Upastree.  But  by  extracting  from  it  every  form  of  slavery  its 
poisons  at  the  same  time  shall  have  been  extracted  and  the  fruit  of 
intelligent  life,  civilization,  shall  be  sweet  and  savory  like  the  fruits 
of  the  instinctive  life.  These  two  modes  of  existence  are  distinct 
from  one  another.  We  have  no  right  to  ascribe  to  animals  the  senti- 
ments of  intelligent  beings.  Animals,  though  they  fight  with  blood 
on  tooth  and  claw,  are  not  cruel  for  they  know  not  what  they  are 
doing,  and  they  are  innocent  and  happy  for  the  same  reason.  We, 
as  intelligent  beings,  know,  therefore  we  cannot  prey  upon  one  an- 
other with  impunity. 


IDLE    THOUGHTS  159 

To  pray  puts  us  in  touch  with  the  instinctive  life.  It  does  not 
lift  us  above  it.  Our  upright  position  has  to  some  extent  separated 
us  from  that  life  and  in  a  way  put  us  in  opposition  to  it.  Kneeling 
when  performing  the  act  of  praying  is  therefore  a  natural  in- 
clination toward  a  more  direct  line  with  the  creative  will.  And 
in  agony,  which  we  take  to  be  a  consciousness  of  being  lost  or 
separated  from  God — men  will  throw  themselves  on  the  ground 
instinctively  seeking  in  this  position  to  facilitate  a  reunion.  So  we 
observe  that  a  child  being  raging  mad  will  throw  itself  on  the 
floor  and  kick  and  scream.  When  after  a  spasm  of  that  kind  we 
find  mother  and  child  in  a  fond  embrace  as  is  generally  the  case, 
we  almost  suspect  that  the  whole  scene  was  only  indulged  in,  to 
intensify  the  consciousness  of  love.  Something  like  this  is  probably 
the  nature  of  miost  quarrels  between  lovers  and  between  married 
people.  Cultured  people  control  their  angry  passions  and  probably 
at  the  same  time  kill  their  capacity  for  love.  Speaking  of  anger 
the  prophets  of  Israel  come  to  our  mind.  In  their  wrath  they 
tore  their  garments  to  pieces,  but  in  them,  too,  we  notice  a  transi- 
tion from  this  intense  anger  into  a  mood  of  the  most  tender  love 

expressed  with  the  most  tender  words. 

Under  all  this  God  himself  is  not  angry.  All  anger  is  caused 
by  the  contrariness  of  things  and  the  contrariness  of  men  and  the 
armies  of  men,  and  this  anger  only  intensifies  the  consciousness  of 
God  and  his  will  to  be. 

We  always  get  what  we  pray  for,  or  that  which  we  most  in- 
tensely love  or  fear  and  consequently  pay  most  attention  to.  If  we 
sometimes  don't  get  what  we  pray  for  or  something  else  it  only 
proves  that  we  did  not  know  what  we  wanted.  Once  I  walked 
under  the  starry  vaults  of  heaven  with  a  beautiful  young  girl  beside 
me,  indulging  as  usual  in  a  rather  Utopian  dream.  Then  a  shooting 
star  shot  across  the  sky  leaving  a  vanishing  white  streak  in  the  dark 
blue,  and  the  girl  cried  out:  "Money,  money,  money".  When  I 
asked  her  the  reason  why  she  told  me  that  if  we  can  name  three 
wishes  during  the  brief  passage  of  a  meteor  through  the  earth's 
atmosphere,  these  wishes  shall  come  true,  and  as  an  occurrence  of 
that  kind  does  not  give  us  time  to  think,  she  had  formulated  her 
three  wishes  before  hand.  What  I  admired  most  in  that  girl  was 
her  good  common  sense,  but  I  suspect  that  money  was  not  her  main 
desire.     She  is  married  now,  I  have  heard,  to  another. 

OUR  POLICIES 

The  will  to  know  leads  to  Nirvana,  and  the  will,  or  rather 
the  ability  to  feel,  leads  to  death  on  the  cross,  in  both  cases,  I  shall 
lose  the  pearl  of  great  price.  Rut  the  will  to  do  leads  to  everlast- 
ing life. 


160  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

The  will  to  do,  to  construct  or  destroy,  in  short,  genius, 
is  most  general,  most  in  evidence  just  before  the  age  of  puberty. 
We  are  then  filled  with  a  surplus  energy  that  craves  an  outlet. 
After  that  our  genius  is  often  drowned  or  lost  in  the  storm  and 
stress  of  passions.  As  we  grow  older,  we  get  smart,  we  get  wise, 
or  we  are  dulled  in  the  treadmills  of  industry,  commerce  and  pro- 
fessions. Only  in  rare  instances  is  our  original  genius,  retained  or 
regained,  if  lost. 

Genius  is  at  one  with  the  creative  will  of  the  universe.  It 
continues  the  instinctive  process  of  creation  on  the  intellectual  plan 
called  civilisation,  which  is  the  work  of  genius.  What  genius  has 
created,  genius  can  destroy.  It  created  the  institution  of  slavery 
for  instance,  and  only  genius  can  do  away  with  it.  A  genius  works 
of  himself,  by  himself  and  for  himself.  He  needs  no  other  in- 
centive to  action.  I  write  for  my  own  edification  and  create  for 
myself  a  community  where  I  should  like  to  be.  Building  for  my- 
self and  preparing  for  myself  a  way  that  shall  give  continuity  to 
my  work  if  not  to  my  consciousness.  In  this  I  shall  be  in  perfect 
accord  with  the  instinctive  life.  Each  specie  and  each  specimen 
within  it  seeks  its  own  welfare  singly  or  in  a  mass,  and  the  re- 
sult is  a  world  teeming  with  an  endless  variety  of  beautiful  forms. 
If  I  plant  an  apple  orchard,  I  do  it  for  myself,  and  I  tend  to  my 
trees  for  my  own  benefit.  This  does  not  exclude  that  I  care  for 
or  even  love  my  trees,  but  I  need  not  play  the  hypocrite  and  say 
that  my  work  is  for  their  sake,  and  the  trees  do  not  and  need  not 
feel  themselves  under  an  endless  obligation  to  me  for  my  tender 
care  of  them.  They  simply  thrive.  In  the  springtime  they  bloom 
and  during  the  summer  they  bring  forth  fruit.  And  in  the  fall 
when  I  gather  the  apples  from  the  loaded  branches,  I  do  not  rob 
the  tree,  I  relieve  it  of  a  burden,  so  a  genius  gives  of  his  abundance, 
and  whosoever  will,  can  take  of  it  freely. 

Genius  creates  and  is  sustained  by  the  new.  If  we,  like  the 
animals,  had  no  memory,  \\t  could  go  on  doing  the  same  thing 
over  and  over  again  without  being  tired.  Perhaps  we  grow  old 
and  die  simply  because  we  cannot  create  anything  new  and  cannot 
bear  to  see  the  same  story  repeated  everlastingly.  It  is  memory 
which  prevents  us  from  enjoying  a  movie  picture  twice.  Its  new- 
ness is  gone  and  we  cannot  feed  on  it.  It  is  already  digested.  A 
drama  bears  repetition  better  because  sometimes  there  is  more  sub- 
stance to  it  than  we  could  assimilate  by  witnessing  one  perform- 
ance only. 

Given  an  idea,  a  genius  proceeds  arbitrarily  and  selects  the 
material  needed  for  his  creations  in  the  same  way,  be  that  ma- 
terial clay  or  comniunities.     But  the  result  of  his  effort  shall  be 


IDLE    THOUGHTS  161 

determined  by  the  greatness  of  his  genius  and  the  character  of  his 
material,  and  Hkewise  by  previous  efforts  by  himself  or  others  in 
his  chosen  field.  While  previous  efforts  may  help  him,  they  may 
also  hinder  him  and  naturally  they  make  it  harder  for  him  to 
create  anything  nev^. 

The  direction  of  the  creative  will  must  to  some  extent  be  de- 
termined by  the  needs  of  the  times.  Now  there  is  a  call  for  Utopias, 
and  while  utopianism  is  as  old  as  human  society,  this  field  is  by  no 
means  exhausted.  The  foundation  for  ideal  commonwealths  offered 
by  the  republic  makes  it  practically  a  new  field,  and  the  revival  of 
many  ancient  arts  within  that  field  and  the  opportunities  oft'ered 
for  those  who  are  not  immediately  interested  in  Utopias,  should 
give  to  this  idea  a  general  appeal. 

Utopianism  as  a  fine  art,  a  social  art,  including  all  the  others 
and  dependent  on  free  institutions,  requires  that  the  preservation  of 
the  republic  must  be  the  first  consideration  for  those  interested  in 
this  field  of  endeavor.  Its  basic  idea  that  government  receives  its 
just  power  from  the  consent  of  the  governed  is  something  new, 
something  unique  and  superior  to  older  forms  of  government, 
nearly  all  of  which  derived  their  power  from  God  or  Gods.  God  is 
not  in  our  constitution.  God  is  in  me  who  together  with  my  equals 
wrote  the  constitution.  So  radical  was  this  revolution  that  few  realize 
even  today  what  changes  in  our  social  order  it  must  bring  about  if 
we  build  on  that  foundation.  Perhaps  it  shall  take  us  thousands  of 
years  before  we  are  fully  readjusted  to  this  that  God  is  not  in  our 
constitution,  and  that  idolatry  of  any  kind  is  foreign  to  it.  But  the 
priesthoods  know.  And  they  are  seeking  and  must  be  seeking  to 
make  out  of  the  republic  an  idol  behind  which  they,  clothed  in  au- 
thority like  a  power  behind  the  throne,  can  have  dominion  over  peo- 
ple. Either  this  or  they  must  try  to  put  their  old  tribal  God  and 
obedience  to  him,  that  is  to  them,  above  loyalty  to  the  republic.  Since 
God  is  not  in  the  constitution,  we  are  morally  free,  and  since  the 
government  derives  its  power  from  us  they  are  not  our  rulers. 
but  our  servants.  And  being  morally  and  politically  free,  we  are 
also  economically  free.  We  can  own,  acquire  and  dispose  of 
property.  Our  liberty  is  only  limited  to  the  extent  that  it  does 
not  interfere  with  the  equal  liberty  of  others.  This  we  have  heard 
many  times  and  said  it  before,  but  the  majority  of  people  care 
not  for  freedom  any  more.  Like  good  health  we  take  freedom 
for  granted  so  long  as  we  have  it  and  often  lose  it  through  care- 
lessness on  that  account. 

Ideals  attained  cease  to  be  moving  or  dynamic,  they  become 
static  and  permanent.     So  our  republic  has  become  static  and 


162  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

permanent  and  freedom  a  fixed  condition,  and  its  routine  busi- 
ness should  be  given  to  woman,  who  would  be  better  able  to  take 
care  of  it  as  a  permanent  home  and  better  able  to  infuse  life  and 
beauty  into  the  functions  of  the  state  in  its  finished  and  pure 
form. 

What  shall  we  do  under  condition  of  freedom?  That  is  the 
question  both  for  man  and  woman.  When  woman  more  generally 
overtakes  the  routine  business  both  in  public  and  private  life,  then 
that  question  shall  become  more  acute. 

We  cannot  forever  stand  pat.  Safety  first  is  not  a  sound 
doctrine  either.  We  shall  never  be  able  to  lure  the  Weltgeist 
over  on  our  side  with  that  sort  of  sentiment.  Be  sure  you  are 
right  and  then  go  ahead.  That's  more  like  it.  And  if  you  at 
first  don't  succeed,  try,  try  again.  That's  the  spirit.  To  Hell 
with  safety!     That  sounds  better,  anyway. 

Without  policies  or  more  or  less  clearly  defined  national 
aims  OT  aspirations,  the  ghosts  of  foreign  gods  shall  get  us.  Let 
us,  therefore,  to  begin  with,  give  an  old  formula,  how  to  kill  a 
ghost :  When  you  have  your  ghost  located,  get  your  gun ;  then 
turn  your  back  to  the  ghost  and  aim  exactly  in  the  opposite 
direction,  then  fire  away  and  the  ghost  is  gone.  This  formula 
for  killing  ghosts  my  elders  gave  me  in  my  boyhood's  days  and 
I  thought  at  that  time  that  this  was  the  height  of  absurdity. 
Now  I  know  better.  It  is  the  opposition  to  them  that  keeps 
most  ghosts  alive.  Turn  your  back  to  them,  aim  at  something 
else,  or  be  absorbed  in  sotne  other  pursuits,  and  they  die.  Indif- 
ference kills  everything,  among  other  things  free  institutions  and 
Utopias. 

The  majority  shall  never  care  for  any  discussion  on  Utopias. 
To  the  simplest  proposition  of  that  kind  they  shall  say  with  a 
self-satisfied  smile:  "This  is  too  deep  for  me!"  And  what 
spiritual  haughtiness  is  not  hidden  behind  that  smile  and  that 
saying.  From  this,  however,  we  shall  not  conclude  that  the  masses 
care  nothing  for  an  ideal  commonwealth,  only  that  they  care  nothing 
for  theories  about  them.  They  want  a  demonstration.  Action.  The 
masses  like  music  and  plays  and  care  but  little  for  the  performers 
and  nothing  at  all  for  the  science  of  harmony  or  dramatizing, 
and  so  it  shall  be  in  regard  to  Utopias. 

To  educate  the  masses  is  the  business  of  the  republic,  and 
not  ours  as  Utopians,  unless  it  should  be  that  we  shall  furnish 
material  for  study  in  our  special  branch  of  endeavor. 

To  create  Utopias  to  the  extent  that  it  is  possible  within  the 
frame  of  the  republic  must  be  considered  a  private  afifair,  under- 
taken at  the  initiative  of  individuals  interested.    And  our  chances 


IDLE    THOUGHTS  163 

of  succeeding  shall  probably  be  greater  if  we  do  not  take  out- 
siders into  our  confidence  and  do  not  allow  those  who  are  not 
interested  to  meddle  with  our  aiTairs. 

An  artist  inspired  with  an  idea  which  he  wants  to  realize 
will  devote  his  whole  life  and  sacrifice  everything  for  that  idea. 
So  the  creator  of  Utopias  must  be  imbued  with  the  same  spirit. 
Not  presenting  themselves  as  a  living  sacrifice,  but  embracing 
utopianism  as  a  golden  opportunity  for  self  realization. 

This  narrow  way  leading  into  a  new  life  shall  try  men's 
souls.  Many  shall  have  to  leave  everything  behind,  and  every- 
thing does  not  here  mean  so  much  our  material  possessions  or 
necessarily  these ;  more  often  it  shall  mean  father,  mother,  fam- 
ily, friends,  etc. 

Freed  from  the  bonds  of  affection  to  the  extent  that  they 
shall  not  interfere  with  his  will  to  be  what  he  wants  to  be  and 
having  overcome  the  pressure  of  doubt  created  by  intelligence 
a  creator  of  Utopias  is  at  one  with  the  creative  will  of  God,  the 
will  to  be.  Now  the  creative  forces  in  him  and  through  him  on 
the  intelligent  or  human  plan  outweighs  or  overbalances  the  will 
to  be  on  the  instinctive  plan.  God's  creative  will  is  with  him ; 
in  other  words,  the  forces  of  the  instinctive  life  welleth  up  in 
him  to  an  everlasting  life.  Our  God  on  the  intelligent  plan  is  glori- 
fied in  him.  But  only  when  a  social  unit  is  created  where  the 
social  will  or  public  opinion  is  in  harmony  with  his  own  will  or 
opinions  shall  his  victory  be  complete. 

The  Utopian  movement  shall  be  similar  to  that  which  took 
place  when  aquatic  life  sought  or  was  forced  to  seek  a  life  ter- 
restial.  They  who  had  outgrown  to  some  extent  the  life  in  the 
sea,  like  the  amphibians,  or  to  whom  that  life  had  become  intoler- 
able, were  the  first  to  venture  upon  dry  land  and  adapt  them- 
selves to  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth.  It  was  not  a  mass 
movement,  nor  did  they  who  started  on  their  perilous  journey 
previously  try  to  convert  others  by  agitating  the  sea.  Rather, 
we  imagine,  did  they  steal  away  in  the  night,  quietly,  when  pro- 
tected by  darkness,  wary  and  well  aware  how  poorly  they  were 
equipped  to  cope  with  the  new  conditions.  Utopians  in  the  same 
way  shall  proceed  with  the  utmost  caution,  and  like  birds  hiding 
their  nests  in  the  foliage  of  trees  and  the  shrubbery,  or  building  them 
in  inaccessible  places.  Thus  it  shall  be  until  they  have  grown  wings 
and  are  better  able  to  take  care  of  themselves. 

Once  Utopias  are  safely  and  firmly  established  the  masses 
must  inevitably  follow  the  pioneers  as  the  line  of  least  resistance. 
Converted  or  not  converted,  willingly  or  reluctantly  or  fighting 
against  it,  that  shall  make  no  difference.    They  are  then  bound  to 


164  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

be  lifted  up.  If  we  bear  in  mind  that  earth  life  is  a  striving 
upward  all  that  is  needed  is  an  outlet  on  a  higher  level  of  exist- 
ence. 

The  moment  an  ideal  commonwealth  has  been  created  this 
outlet  on  a  higher  plane  exists  and  shall  exert  the  same  power 
and  fill  the  same  function  as  that  of  a  siphon.  Only  this  shall 
be  an  inverted  siphon.  And,  as  we  cannot  forever  resist  a  natural 
law  all  must  at  last  be  swallowed  up  by  this  inverted  siphon. 
One  siphon  having  an  outlet  on  a  lower  level  would  in  time 
empty  the  ocean,  and  one  Utopia  or  inverted  siphon  would  in 
time  draw  up  the  masses,  and  when  we  shall  have  thousands  of 
them  going  there  is  no  escape. 

To  those  who  are  most  perfectly  adapted  to  the  aquatic  life 
and  are  successfully  established  there,  and  therefore  have  no 
great  longing  for  the  life  on  land  and  prefer  water  to  air,  the 
disappearance  of  the  sea,  or  present  civilization,  shall  be  felt  as 
a  going  down  to  hell  and  destruction  of  all  that  they  are,  of  all 
that  they  have  and  all  that  they  love.  Only  after  they  have 
emerged  from  the  upper  end  of  these  bent  tubes  or  siphons  shall 
they  be  able  to  realize  that  they  have  been  lifted  up  to  heaven 
via  hell,  the  customary  route,  by  the  way.  The  small  fry, 
having  little  or  no  power  of  resistance,  shall,  of  course,  be  the 
first  to  succumb  to  the  suction  of  the  siphons,  and  their  passage 
through  these  test-tubes  shall  be,  comparatively  speaking,  easy. 
For  the  bigger  fish  the  passage  shall  necessarily  be  more 
painful,  and  for  those  with  swollen  fortunes  almost  impossible. 
They  who  are  in  the  habit  of  saying:  "This  is  too  deep  for  me," 
shall  naturally  fight  shy  of  the  siphons  so  long  as  they  can.  and 
when  the  water  begins  to  be  too  shallow  even  for  them  they  shall 
continue  to  resist.  But  in  spite  of  this,  and  still  saying  "this 
is  too  deep  for  me,"  they  shall  go  down  to  hell  and  at  last  be 
sucked  up  to  the  heavens  and  saved. 

"And  there  was  no  more  sea." 

RESURRECTION  OF  THE  GODS 

As  there  is  a  resurrection  of  the  flesh  in  the  physical  world 
there  ought  to  be  a  resurrection  of  the  gods  in  the  spiritual 
world,  and  in  consequence  thereof,  artistic  creations  of  gods  as 
symbols  of  spiritual  realities.  Our  national  flag  is  such  a  symbol 
of  a  spiritual  reality,  namely  our  national  unity  in  regard  to  fun- 
damental principles.  Other  symbols  may  to  our  advantage  be 
created  and  without  danger  if  we  only  bear  in  mind  that  they  are 
only  symbols  and  not  idols. 


IDLE    THOUGHTS  165 

Since  the  national  flag  symbolizes  the  national  ideals  and  in 
a  measure  shall  help  to  keep  them  alive  in  our  hearts,  a  more 
strict  etiquette  in  the  use  of  the  flag-  should  be  observed.  This 
stricter  observance  shall  require  more  attention  to  it,  and  con- 
sequently we  shall  think  more  of  it.     It  is  no  small  matter. 

By  respecting  the  flag  of  other  nations,  we  honor  our  own 
so  what  we  shall  say  of  our  own  flag  should  be  applied  to  those  of 
other  nations.  That  it  should  not  be  used  for  advertising  pur- 
poses is  generally  admitted.  It  should  be  clean,  its  colors  bright, 
and  it  should  not  be  torn  or  ragged,  and  preferably  carried  aloft 
on  a  staff  or  hoisted  on  a  pole.  Moved  by  the  wind  that  bloweth 
where  it  listeth  it  takes  on  an  air  of  spirituality  that  refuses  to 
take  on  a  fixed  form,  and  is  therefore  a  fitting  symbol  for  the 
idea  of  freedom.  Nailed  to  a  wall  or  in  a  similar  way  used  for 
decorating  purposes,  it  loses  this  semblance  of  spirituality.  The 
good  old  custom  that  it  should  be  raised  at  sunrise  and  lowered 
at  sunset  should  be  scrupulously  observed.  It  signifies  that  it 
is  a  symbol  of  enlightenment  and  intelligence  above  the  dark 
ages  of  instinctive  life. 

The  use  of  the  flag  should  always  have  a  meaning.  If  we 
see  it  floating  over  a  court  house  it  should  be  a  sign  that  court 
was  set ;  if  over  a  schoolhouse,  that  school  was  on,  etc.  Flag- 
ging should  be  used  with  discretion.  General  flagging  on  na- 
tional or  local  holidays  for  that  locality  adds  greatly  in  the  crea- 
tion of  a  festive  spirit.  Used  all  the  time,  it  loses  that  effect. 
It  should,  therefore,  be  used  on  special  occasions  only.  That 
the  flag  is  raised  to  the  top  in  memory  of  great  men  or  great 
events  is  good,  and  that  it  is  lowered  on  half  mast  when  one  of 
national  or  local  prominence  passes  away,  is  a  beautiful  custom. 
Here,  however,  something  seems  to  be  lacking.  Why  should 
great  men  be  honored  only  when  they  are  dead?  The  Roman 
senate  sometimes  voted  a  triumphant  entrance  into  Rome  as  a 
recognition  of  the  victories  of  great  generals.  Could  not  our 
senators  vote  a  flag  day  in  the  honor  of  some  man  or  woman  who 
had  rendered  a  great  service  to  the  nation  and  deserved  a  rec- 
ognition of  that  kind?  On  that  day  the  flags  on  all  public  build- 
ings would  be  raised  and  by  the  general  public  it  should  be 
displayed  to  the  extent  the  citizens  agreed,  with  the  senator's 
decision.  In  Rome,  where  all  power  was  centralized,  a  trium- 
phant entrance  was  the  proper  thing,  but  in  a  republic  where  the 
reverse  of  this  is  the  social  order  a  flag  day  should  be  the  more 
fitting  form,  and  just  as  effective,  and,  in  some  respects  ,this 
visible  though  silent  tribute  would  be  more  beautiful. 


166  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

To  compel  anyone  to  salute  the  flag"  or  kiss  the  flag  savors 
of  idolatry,  and  it  is  against  its  spirit.  It  reminds  us  of  the  story 
of  Gessler.  the  Austrian  tax  collector,  who  in  Switzerland,  put 
his  hat  up  on  the  top  of  a  pole  and  compelled  the  peasants  to 
salute  it,  against  which  the  peasants,  naturally,  rebelled. 

To  salute  the  flag,  if  it  is  voluntarily,  or  better  still,  if  it 
is  involuntarily  done,  is  a  beautiful  tribute  to  the  national  spirit 
which  the  flag'  symbolizes.  But  one  whose  heart  is  not  stirred 
to  that  extent  when  he  sees  the  flag  of  his  country  unfurled 
should  be  pitied  for  his  emotional  poverty,  rather  than  punished. 

Nationalism,  if  purged  of  all  imperialistic  tendencies,  is 
probably  essential  to  free  institutions  and  a  state  is  needed  as  a 
higher  court  above  the  social  units  of  which  it  is  composed,  and  in 
each  of  which  the  imperialistic  tendency  to  rob  and  crush  its  neigh- 
bor, is  inherent.  It  is  also  useful  as  a  means  to  transact  interna- 
tional business. 

A  republic  founded  on  reason  must  recognize  the  equal 
rights  of  nations  as  it  recognizes  the  equal  rights  of  individuals 
within  its  jurisdiction,  and  to  the  extent  that  other  nations  adopt 
this  principle,  the  extent  to  which  we  shall  be  able  to  live  up  to 
our  ideals,  must  in  a  great  measure  depend. 

There  is  a  long  way  before  we  reach  ideal  nationalism. 
Commercialism  has  to  a  great  extent  broken  the  national  bar- 
riers and  absolute  free  trade  and  the  facilities  for  travel  and  the 
freedom  to  go  from  one  country  to  another  shall  in  time  create  a 
better  understanding  betv/een  people  of  different  nationalities. 
At  present,  all  nations,  big  and  small,  including  our  own,  are 
tainted  with  imperialism,  and  it  is  this  idea  that  causes  most 
of  the  frictions.  We  need  not  go  far  before  we  become  conscious 
of  this.  I  enter  a  saloon  and  join  a  group  of  Englishmen.  They 
are  a  jolly  and  g^enial  bunch  of  fellows,  witty  and  fond  of  tell- 
ing good  stories.  Then  one  of  them  becomes  serious,  and  speaks 
of  righteousness,  and  at  once  we  are  chilled,  for  their  righteous- 
ness is  not  our  righteousness,  and  we  notice  that  one  who  boasts 
of  his  own  or  his  country's  righteousness,  never  laughs.  He 
feels  offended  at  a  faint  smile  on  our  part  when  he  speaks  righteous- 
ness. It  is  instinctive,  therefore  imperialistic  and  way  below  the  in- 
telligent plan. 

And  when  we  see  an  Englishman  make  a  big  mouth  and 
speak  about  an  Englishman's  blood,  that  gives  to  his  face  a 
peculiar  ape-like  expression  that  is  very  repulsive.  In  an  ugly 
mood  we  ask:  "Is  there  anything  especially  sacred  about  an 
Englishman's  blood?"  There  are  other  bloods.  There  is  the 
Norman  blood,  for  instance,  not  to  mention  the  American  blood. 


IDLE    THOUGHTS  167 

And  then  again,  some  prominent  Englishmen  have  expressed  the 
wish,  repeated  after  them  in  the  barrooms,  the  wish  that  they 
could  make  other  people  think  like  an  Englishman,  unable,  it 
seems,  to  understand  that  to  us,  if  we  be  not  of  that  breed,  the 
mere  thought  that  we  should  come  to  think  like  an  Englishman 
is  revolting,  and  as  for  a  possibility  that  we  should  come  to 
look  like  one,  when  he  puts  out  his  lips  and  speaks  of  an  English- 
man's blood  —  "God  of  our  fathers,  spare  us  yet." 

Later  we  are  among  a  crowd  of  Germans,  drinking  beer,  and 
here  we  meet  similar  conditions.  To  begin  with,  all  is  well,  the 
Germans  are  social,  interested  in  many  things,  and  above  all, 
enthusiastic.  Everything  is  lovely,  "Leben  und  leben  lassen," 
until  we  come  to  kultur,  then  the  trouble  begins.  They  are  try- 
ing to  tell  me  that  culture  began  with  the  Germans  and  it  shall 
end  with  them,  and  they  are  serious  about  it  with  an  almost  righteous 
seriousness  and  expect  me  to  listen  to  this  with  a  straight  face. 
Upon  inquiry  I  find  that  they  have  only  a  rudimentary  knowledge  of 
the  history  of  the  German  races,  and  only  a  faint  recollection  of  the 
names  of  some  of  the  famous  men  of  Germany.  They  have  not  read 
the  works  of  the  philosophers  of  that  country.  The  best  ones  they 
never  heard  of  and.  judging  from  what  I  hear,  the  only  German 
songs  they  know  are  "Die  Schwarze  kuh"  and  "Ei  du  Schone 
Schnitzel  bank.''  And  they  put  on  an  air  of  superiority  and  speak  to 
us  about  culture,  even  German  kultur.  "Ei  du  Schone  Schnitzel 
bank."    That's  all  I  can  say. 

After  this  I  decide  to  go  to  a  movie  theater,  and  as  luck  has 
it,  I  am  to  witness  a  war  play,  and  the  scene  is  laid  somewhere 
in  France.  To  look  at  the  pictures,  the  more  exciting  the  better, 
fixes  the  attention  on  the  externals  and  calms  our  spirit.  The 
hero  of  the  play  at  last  dies  for  his  country,  unknown  and  un- 
recognized, and  dying,  he  is  made  to  say,  "It  is  glory  enough  to 
be  French."  Somehow  this  moderation  in  the  expression  of  the 
patriotic  sentiment,  takes  away  from  it  everything  that  is  of- 
fensive. Men  of  other  nationalities,  are  not  belittled,  or  made  to 
feel  inferior.  On  the  contrary,  others  can  to  some  extent  share 
in  the  glory  of  the  French  hero,  which  is  as  it  should  be.  For 
Germans,  too,  and  men  of  other  nations,  have  died  for  their 
country.    "It  is  glory  enough  to  be  French." 

National  glorification  or  bragging,  like  bragging  of  our 
family,  or  of  ourself,  is  natural.  It  acts  as  a  suggestion,  in  fact 
it  is  a  kind  of  auto-suggestion.  It  stimulates  and  strengthens 
us  and  is,  therefore,  a  good  thing.  For  many  a  necessity  which 
we  would  not  take  away  from  them,  as  we  could  not  think  of 
depriving  a  cripple  of  his  crutches.     But  our  aim  should  be  to 


168  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

make  it  the  least  offensive  to  others  without  diminishing  its 
benefits  to  ourself.  Auto-suggestion,  for  example,  can  be  most 
effectively  applied  after  we  have  gone  to  bed,  just  before  we  go 
to  sleep,  and  it  shall  not  then  disturb  the  sleep  of  anybody  else. 
Likewise,  the  family  brag  should  be  indulged  in  after  the  guests 
have  departed.  Gathered  around  the  fireplace,  the  glorification 
of  our  own  ancestors  shall  serve  as  a  bracer  after  we,  perhaps, 
feel  a  little  depressed  by  having  had  to  listen  to  something  of 
that  sort  from  the  dear  departed  ones.  The  national  bragging 
is  more  difficult  to  handle.  There  is  a  way,  however.  The  way 
of  Esparanto,  or  some  other  auxiliary  or  universal  language. 
If  we  all  knew  a  language  of  that  sort  and  it  was  good  form 
to  use  the  native  tongue  only  when  we  wanted  to  praise  our  own 
country  to  a  degree  agreeable  to  ourselves,  but  oft'ensive  to 
others,  all  would  be  well. 

The  glorification  of  our  own,  be  it  our  family  or  our  coun- 
try, can  be  easily  overdone.  Too  much  is  too  much.  At  times 
we  feel  it  would  be  a  good  thing  to  get  away  from  it.  All  races 
have  produced  men  who  rose  above  nationality,  and  became  men 
of  the  world,  and  whose  work  became  the  common  heritage  of 
the  world,  and  when  nationalism  becomes  too  hot  and  heavy 
among  our  acquaintances,  we  feel  a  longing  for  companionship 
of  men  of  a  more  cosmopolitan  mind.  A  longing  for  the  clearer, 
the  colder,  the  more  bracing  atmosphere  of  the  universal  spirit. 
"As  the  heart  panteth  for  the  water  brooks,  so  longeth  my  soul 
for  Thee,  O,  God." 

MY  EMPIRE 

As  an  Esparanto — translated,  one  that  hopes — let  us  now. 
in  our  imagination,  enter  into  this  supernational  world.  The 
empire  of  the  individual,  my  empire.  Speaking  Esparanto,  I 
can  now  go  to  every  place  on  this  globe  and  meet  people  of  any 
race  and  nationality  and  talk  with  them.  The  barriers  of  lan- 
guage are  broken.  They  understand  me,  and  I  them.  And  much 
shall  then  be  cleared  that  now  is  hidden.  We  shall  work  or  play 
together  during  the  day  and  at  sunset  I  shall  listen  to  their 
native  lays,  or  we  shall  sing  together  new  songs  in  Esparanto. 
In  the  twilight  we  shall  sit  and  talk  it,  perhaps  until  it  is  night, 
for  we  have  many  things  to  tell  each  other,  things  we  did  not 
know  before,  now  that  we  have  been  so  long  separated.  Or  I  can 
stay  at  home  and  all  kinds  of  people  shall  come  and  visit  me. 
If  I  have  an  idea  to  give  to  the  world,  the  universal  language 
makes  it  accessible  at  once.  If  I  make  an  article  of  merchandise, 
I  can  let  it  be  known  and  people  from  all  parts  of  the  world 


IDLE    THOUGHTS  169 

may  order  it.  Since  it  is  now  absolutely  free  trade  between 
nations,  and  I  shall  send  it  to  them  by  parcel  post.  In  short,  to 
use  the  famous  words  of  the  equally  famous  Count  of  Monte 
Christo,  "The  world  is  mine." 

But  let  not  the  vastness  of  my  new  domain  make  my  head 
dizzy.  I  must  endeavor  to  maintain  my  position  as  lord  and 
master  and  not  fall  down  on  my  knees  and  worship  my  own 
creation.  I  must  strive  to  rise  above  it,  and  be  able  if  need  be 
to  renounce  it.  Have  I  lost  my  home,  my  family,  and  lost  my 
country,  and  at  last  shall  lose  my  empire,  stripped  of  everything, 
if  my  soul  has  not  surrendered,  it  is  glory  enough  to  be  what  I 
am.  Naked  came  I  into  this  world  and  naked  shall  I  go  hence, 
and  naked  shall  I  again  appear.  Praised  be  the  name  of  the 
Lord. 

RETURN  OF  THE  FATHER 

No  matter  what  the  Son  of  Man  shall  do  and  no  matter  how 
ideal  kingdoms  shall  be,  there  shall  always  be  some  reactionaires 
talking  about  the  good  old  times  and  the  good  old  god.  To  them 
we  shall  suggest  that  as  the  Christians  during  the  passing  dis- 
pensation had  been  sustained  by  the  thought  of  the  second  com- 
ing of  Christ,  so  they,  during  the  coming  dispensation,  may  con- 
sole themselves  with  a  thought  of  the  return  of  the  Father. 
This  phrase  has  a  pleasing  sound,  even  unto  us,  for  in  our  hopes 
he  shall  live  and  return  as  a  god  of  truth  and  beauty,  an  intelli- 
gent god,  having  lost  in  his  absence,  all  the  instinctive  attributes 
of  jealousy,  blood  lust,  revenge,  etc. 

Neither  are  we  adverse  to  the  Utopia  of  the  reactionaries, 
only  we  hold  that  it  must  be  reached  gradually  by  the  way  of 
experiment.  The  demand  of  the  absolute  defeats  itself,  and  the 
Utopias  of  the  reactionaries  is  an  absolute  Utopia.  Their  Utopia 
is  the  original  Utopia,  it  is  paradise. 

Absolute  freedom  is  the  condition  there,  except  for  one  com- 
mandment. 

"And  God  created  man  in  his  own  image.  And  the  Lord 
God  commanded  the  man  saying.  Of  every  tree  of  the  garden 
thou  mayest  freely  eat.  But  of  the  tree  of  Knowledge  of  good 
and  evil,  thou  shalt  not  eat  of  it,  for  in  the  day  that  thou  eatest 
of  it,  thou  shalt  surely  die." 

Now,  what  is  the  tree  of  knowledge?  That's  the  question 
And  there  can  be  no  doubt  about  the  answer.  The  Tree  of 
Knowledge  is  the  Family  Tree.  A  family  tree  that  includes  all 
of  humanity.  It  is  tJic  family  tree.  All  the  species  of  plants  and 
animals   are   guided   by   instinct.     They  have   no  knowledge   of 


170  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

good  and  evil,  only  traces  of  intelligence,  and  there  is  not  a  single 
organism  of  life  below  man  in  which  the  spirit  has  risen  to  self- 
consciousness.  Therefore  of  all  these  trees  or  families,  man 
may  freely  eat.  But  all  members  of  the  human  family  are  self- 
conscious  and  possess  knowledge  and  should  therefore  be 
exempt. 

"For  in  the  day  that  thou  eatest  thereof,  thou  shalt  surely 
die."     This  is  simply  an  injunction  against  cannibalism. 

We  do  not  eat  the  flesh  or  drink  the  blood  of  human  beings 
any  more.  To  that  extent  we  have  obeyed  the  commandment 
that  we  should  not  eat  of  the  tree  of  knowledge.  To  most  people 
with  any  refinement  and  whose  imagination  has  not  been  dulled,  or 
whose  sensibilities  have  not  been  made  coarse  by  early  Christian 
training,  the  idea  of  eating  of  bread  and  the  drinking  of  wine  as 
symbols  of  human  flesh  and  blood  is  repugnant,  although  it  be  called 
a  holy  sacrament. 

But  there  are  other  forms  of  cannibalism,  just  as  injurious 
or  deadly  to  the  tree  of  knowledge,  as  the  actual  or  symbolical 
eating  and  drinking  of  human  flesh  and  blood,  and  which  shall 
be  just  as  disgusting  to  us  the  moment  we  are  lifted  above  these 
forms.  Therefore,  every  parasite  on  the  tree  of  knowledge  shall 
perish,  and  every  family  tree  that  thrives  on  the  toil  of  others 
to  the  detriment  of  others,  directly  or  indirectly,  shall  be  de- 
stroyed root  and  branch,  and  every  empire  that  involves  the  op- 
pression or  suppression  of  nations  shall  be  dissolved,  and  every 
civilization  that  rests  upon  the  enslavement  of  the  masses  shall 
pass  away. 

It  is  the  law. 

And  the  ruins  of  empires  and  the  downfall  of  civilizations  bear 
witness  to  its  truth. 

Thus  spake  the  ultimate  reactionary.  "And  they  stood  up 
and  strove  against  the  Lamb,  but  the  Lamb  shall  overcome  them 
all." 

The  carnival  is  over  with  and  the  celebration  of  the  carnage 
as  a  holy  mass  or  sacrament.  Ended  is  the  sorrows  of  the  suffer- 
ing Christ  the  Lamb  that  was  slain. 

In  Paradise  then  the  tree  of  knowledge  and  the  tree  of  life 
shall  bloom  and  bear  fruit  at  the  same  time  and  continually,  as 
of  Jore.  And — in  the  garden  of  Eden  we  shall  meet  God!  We 
shall  walk  with  him  and  talk  with  him  in  the  twilight. 

Talk  it  over  with  Him  now. 

THE  END. 


BOOK  III. 


THE  BOOK  OF  THE  LAMB 

A  Brief  Sketch  of  the  History  of  the  Judaistic 

Movement  from  Moses  to  Karl  Marx 

Including  the  Story  of  Christ 

and  His  Kingdom. 


CHRIST  AND  HIS  KINGDOM 


FOREWORD 

It  comes  to  our  mind,  and  we  cannot  close  this  work  on 
Utopias  without  giving  a  short  account  of  the  greatest  of  all 
Utopian  dreams:     The  Kingdom  of  Heaven  on  Earth. 

It  might  be  possible  from  the  parables  and  from  fragments 
of  the  sayings  of  Jesus  to^  reconstruct  and  give  a  complete  pic- 
ture of  that  Kingdom.  This,  however,  is  not  our  intention.  Only 
a  brief  sketch,  based  on  what  we  remember  of  the  sayings  of 
Jesus  and  of  the  parables  shall  be  given.  What  we  remember  is 
what  has  impressed  itself  on  our  mind  some  time  or  other.  And 
what  comes  to  me  is  my  own. 

As  an  organism  assimilates  only  the  elements  that  are  suit- 
able to  its  nature,  so  our  characters  shall  determine  what  we 
absorb  from  the  gospel  or  any  other  source.  In  choosing  what 
seems  right  to  me,  I  shall  be  just  as  infallible  as  the  Pope  is 
infallible,  or  Mrs.  Mary  Baker  Eddy,  or  anybody  else  is  infal- 
lible. 

MOSES 

Christ  and  his  kingdom  is  closely  connected  with  the  Jewish- 
Christian  movement,  and,  in  order  to  understand  both,  it  shall 
be  necessary  to  give  a  brief  review  of  the  history  of  that  move- 
ment from  Moses  to  Karl  Marx. 

"I  am  the  Lord  thy  God:  thou  shalt  have  no  other  Gods 
before  me."  These  commandments  were  meant  for  Moses  indi- 
vidually ;  they  were  not  spoken  to  the  crowd.  Moses  himself 
had  outgrown  all  the  idols  of  the  crowd  and  tried  to  impose  the 
God  I  AM  on  others.  He  had  found  himself  and  had  become, 
as  some  have  expressed  it,  a  law  unto  himself,  a  new  beginning, 
a  self-rolling  stone. 

Like  all  creators,  Moses  wanted  to  create  something  in  his 
own  likeness,  and  breathe  his  own  soul  into  it,  and  what  Moses 
wanted  to  make  in  his  own  image  was  an  ideal  commonwealth. 
His  chosen  people  were  his  own  people,  then  reduced  to  a  state 
of  bondage  or  slavery.  Of  the  twelve  tribes,  he  chose  his  own 
tribe,  the  Levites,  to  rule  over  the  rest  as  an  hereditary  priest- 
hood. "And  ye  shall  be  unto  me  a  kingdom  of  priests  and  a 
holy  nation."  This  idea  contains  a  contradiction  for  a  holy 
nation  needs  no  priest.    The  priest  is  an  evidence  of  sin.     But 

175 


176  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

because  of  this  contradiction,  a  conflict  arose  within  the  organiza- 
tion, a  conflict  that  vitahzes  and  perpetuates  it  through  a  vain 
effort  to  overcome  the  difficulty. 

God,  in  the  estimation  of  Moses,  was  only  a  means  to  an 
end,  namely,  to  give  authority  to  his  laws  and  his  statutes,  and 
to  give  power  to  his  precepts.  This  was  all  the  more  important, 
as  he  excluded  the  King  from  his  Utopia. 

In  the  first  chapters  of  Exodus  we  are  permitted  to  see  the 
workings  in  the  mind  of  Moses  while  he  perfected  his  plans  and 
considered  his  chances  of  success.  He  argued  with  God,  that  is 
with  himself.  In  his  favor  was  the  fact  that  he  could  perform 
some  tricks  in  magic.  How  could  he  speak  to  the  people,  not 
being  an  orator?  His  brother  Aaron  was  good  at  that,  and  so  on, 
and  at  last,  he  decided  to  try. 

Meeting  with  the  elders  of  Israel,  he  told  them  that  the  God 
that  had  spoken  to  him  was  the  same  God  that  had  spoken  to 
their  fathers,  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob,  although  he  was  not 
known  to  them  by  the  name  "Jehovah."  "I  am  that  I  AM." 
At  the  same  time  he  revived  some  of  the  promises  that  were 
given  to  their  fathers  concerning  Canaan,  a  land  that  flows  with 
milk  and  honey.  And  Moses  succeeded  in  persuading  them  to 
leave  Egypt  and  set  out  for  the  promised  land. 

The  story  about  the  golden  calf  shows  that  the  God  of 
Moses  to  the  Children  of  Israel  at  that  time  was  a  foreign  god, 
and  Moses  himself  was  considered  as  not  one  of  them.  "When 
the  people  saw  that  Moses  delayed  to  come  down  out  of  the 
mountain,  the  people  gathered  themselves  together  unto  Aaron, 
and  said  unto  him,  "Up,  make  us  gods,  which  shall  go  before  us ; 
as  for  this  man  Moses,  the  man  that  brought  us  up  out  of  the 
land  of  Egypt,  we  wot  not  what  has  become  of  him." 

"And  Aaron,  Moses'  brother,  made  them  a  golden  calf,  and 
made  this  proclamation,  'Tomorrow  is  a  feast  to  the  Lord,  and 
they  rose  early  on  the  morrow  and  offered  burnt  offerings  and 
brought  peace  offerings,  and  the  people  sat  down  to  eat  and 
drink,  and  rose  up  to  play."  Aaron  explained  to  Moses  after- 
wards that  he  wanted  the  people  who  wanted  gods  to  give  him 
their  gold.  "So  they  gave  it  to  me,  and  I  cast  it  in  the  fire,  and 
there  came  out  this  calf."  "And  the  Lord  plagued  the  people 
because  they  made  this  calf,  which  Aaron  made." 

One  of  the  customs  of  Moses  was  good,  and  we  suspect  it 
was  the  invention  of  the  man  Aaron,  that  made  the  golden  calf. 
We  refer  to  the  scape  goat : 

"And  Aaron  shall  lay  both  his  hands  upon  the  head  of  the 
live  goat,  and  confess  over  him  all  the  iniquities  of  the  children 


THE  BOOK  OF  THE  LAMB  177 

of  Israel,  and  all  their  transgressions,  and  all  their  sins,  putting 
them  upon  the  head  of  the  goat,  and  shall  send  him  away  by 
the  hand  of  a  footman  into  the  wilderness.  And  the  goat  shall 
bear  upon  him  all  the  iniquities  unto  a  land  not  inhabited;  and 
he  shall  let  go  the  goat  in  the  wilderness." 

Could  anything  easier  and  better  be  invented  to  rid  a  com- 
munity of  iniquities  when  it  becomes  infected  with  the  idea  of 
sm?  We  need  not  worry  about  the  goat.  To  escape  from  a 
community  ruled  by  a  priest,  is  salvation.  For  there  they  have 
that  other  notion  too  that  an  innocent  lamb  must  be  slain  for  the 
sins  of  the  people. 

Robert  Ingersoll  used  to  ridicule  the  idea  of  a  scape  goat 
carrying  away  the  sins  of  the  people,  but  Ingersoll,  in  common 
with  most  freethinkers,  seemed  to  be  unable  to  comprehend  the 
usefulness  of  many  religious  customs,  ignoring  in  this  instance 
that  confession  is  good  for  the  soul,  and  not  only  for  the  soul  of 
an  individual,  but  for  the  soul  of  a  community. 

The  scapegoat  as  a  prototype  of  the  Father  confessor  gains 
an  added  interest.  Here  the  Protestants  are  in  the  wrong  when 
they  assail  this  institution  among  Catholics. 

Like  anything  else,  it  may  be  misused,  but  the  confession 
of  sm  to  a  priest  in  honor  bound  to  secrecy  is  preferable  to  the 
confessions  of  sins  to  a  more  or  less  reliable  friend.  And  a 
priest,  if  he  be  the  right  kind  of  a  man,  should  be  in  a  position 
to  give  erring  brothers  and  sisters  some  valuable  advice.  The 
best  feature,  however,  of  this  practice,  should  be  that  it  saves  the 
more  sympathetic  members  of  a  family  or  community  from 
having  tales  of  woe  poured  into  their  soul.  For  while  confession 
IS  good  for  the  confessor,  it  may  be  very  injurious  to  the  s6ul  of 
a  sensitive  human  being  to  receive  these  confessions.  Their 
happy  genius  shall  die  thereof,  and  against  their  will,  they  shall 
be  turned  into  suffering  Christs,  carrying  the  sins  of  others  as  a 
cross.  And  it  is  the  happy,  the  generous,  and  the  sympathetic 
who  generally  fall  the  prey  to  those  who  have  no  regular  confes- 
sor and  still  craves  to  confess  and  needs  to  confess  their  sins  in 
order  to  get  relief. 

Modern  psycology  supports  the  view  that  confessions  are 
good.  By  tapping  the  subconscious  mind,  that  is  by  drawing  out 
the  substance  of  injurious  ideas,  many  are  cured  from  hysteria 
and  other  ailments,  due  in  the  first  place  to  suppressed  ideas  or 
desires.  The  older  method  of  a  scapegoat,  while  right  in  prin- 
ciple, was  necessarily  crude,  but  it  had  at  least  this  advantage 
that  the  confessions  whispered  into  its  ears  had  no  effect,  in- 
jurious or  otherwise,  on  the  goat.     What  was  whispered  in' one 


178  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

ear  went  out  the  other.  So  we  hope  it  is  as  a  rule,  the  case  with 
the  priest.  He  must  at  last  become  more  or  less  hardened.  As  to 
the  psycolog"ist,  his  scientific  interest  in  the  cases  under  his  care 
shall  counteract  the  evil  influence  of  the  necessarily  disagreeable 
task  of  drawing  out  devils.  This,  from  an  Utopian  point  of  view, 
is  important,  as  the  services  of  a  psycologist  shall  be  greatly  in 
demand,  when  it  comes  to  create  ideal  commonwealths.  In  former 
days  it  was  the  custom  to  bleed  diseased  bodies  by  the  help  of 
gently  undulating  leeches,  sucking  out  the  bad  blood,  or  to  use 
a  cupping  glass  for  that  purpose.  So  the  psycologist,  by  tapping 
the  minds  of  bad  ideas  shall  relieve  the  souls,  now  obscessed  by 
various  fears  and  hatreds,  like  family  feuds,  or  national,  social 
or  religious  animosities.  Indeed  it  is  an  Utopian  dream  of 
dreams  to  have  all  these  fears  and  hatreds  psycologically  drawn 
out  and  dissipated,  and  the  curses  changed  into  a  beautiful  song. 
Innocent  like  as  the  song  of  a  child  at  play,  unconsciously  and 
spontaneously  singing. 

The  men  of  God,  or  God-like  men,  who  from  time  to  time 
appear  on  earth,  are  great  as  long  as  they  confine  themselves  to 
golden  rules  or  glittering  generalities.  The  moment  they  begin 
to  prescribe  rules  and  regulations  for  marriage  and  other  mat- 
ters, we  see  at  once  that  the  inspiration  leaves  them.  They  are 
not  then  above  the  ordinary  legislators.  Moses  is  no  exception 
to  this  rule.  His  laws  are  human  indeed,  or  inhuman,  we  should 
say,  as  measured  by  our  standard.  They  contain,  however,  many 
good  things  that  with  profit  could  be  made  into  our  laws,  and 
no  doubt  as  compared  with  other  laws  in  his  time,  they  were 
excellent. 

But  the  greater  objection  to  his  laws,  and  to  any  laws  made 
by  men  is,  that  they  are  made  permanent,  and  as  an  example  of 
the  laws  of  Moses,  we  shall  quote  a  few  verses  from  the  Thir- 
teenth chapter  of  Deuteronomy : 

"If  there  arises  among  you  a  prophet,  or  a  dreamer  of 
dreams,  and  giveth  you  a  sign  or  a  wonder,  and  the  sign  or 
wonder  come  to  pass,  whereof  he  spake  unto  you  saying  'Let  us 
go  after  other  gods,  which  thou  hast  not  known,  and  let  us 
serve  them ;'  thou  shalt  not  hearken  unto  the  words  of  that 
prophet  or  that  dreamer  of  dreams. 

"Thou  shalt  not  consent  unto  him  nor  hearken  unto  him, 
neither  shalt  thine  eye  pity  him  ;  neither  shalt  thou  spare ;  neither 
shalt  thou  conceal  him ;  but  thou  shalt  surely  kill  him ;  thine 
hand  shall  be  first  upon  him  to  put  him  to  death ;  and  after- 
wards the  hand  of  all  the  people ;  and  thou  shalt  stone  him  with 
stones  until  he  die." 


THE  BOOK  OF  THE  LAMB  179 

If  a  law  like  that  had  been  in  operation  when  Moses  ap- 
peared he  himself  would  have  been  stoned,  for  he  was  a  dreamer 
of  dreams,  a  wonder  worker,  giving-  to  an  old  god  a  new  name. 
Something  of  that  sort  a  dreamer  or  prophet  must  neces- 
sarily do.  Otherwise,  he  is  a  neutral  or  a  priest  living  on  the 
works  of  dead  prophets  and  dreamers.  The  above  quoted  law  is 
not  on  our  statute  books,  but  so  long  as  we  have  the  priest,  we 
shall  have  the  spirit  of  that  law.  Shall  the  prophet  ever  find 
faith  when  he  appears?  Hardly.  A  dreamer  of  dreams  must  be 
thankful  if  he  is  tolerated,  and  should  not  feel  offended  if  he  be 
classed  with  criminals. 

Between  the  men  of  God  and  the  priest,  there  is  an  enmity 
like  that  between  God  and  the  serpent.  There  cannot  be  any 
compromise  between  these  two  elements.  But  if  we  are  not 
dreamers,  and  do  not  belong  to  the  tribe  of  Levi,  we  should 
realize  that  the  dreamers  put  a  damper  on  the  arrogance  of 
priests,  and  that  priests  to  some  extent  act  as  critics  of  the 
dreams  and  prophecies,  purifying  and  standardizing  the  output, 
and  that  for  the  good  of  society,  not  one  of  these  elements  should 
be  allowed  to  destroy  the  other  utterly,  as  they  surely  would  if 
they  could. 

THE  PROMISED  LAND 

At  last  the  Israelites  were  in  the  promised  land,  and  it  is 
worth  noting  that  the  rule  of  a  priesthood  proved  a  failure.  This, 
however,  should  not  necessarily  be  counted  against  the  system 
of  Moses.  It  was  the  environment.  Philistines  and  others  of 
the  former  inhabitants  of  Palestine,  wanted  their  land  back  and 
made  war  on  the  Israelites.  Right  here  the  rule  of  priests  fell 
through  and  the  people  demanded  kings  to  lead  them  in  battle. 

Saul,  the  first  one  selected  for  that  ofifice,  seems  to  have 
come  nearest  to  being  a  real  king,  although  he  was  anointed  by 
a  priest,  and  by  that  anointment  as  a  king,  polluted.  David,  the 
next,  started  well,  but  soon  degenerated.  So  we  find  that  in 
time  of  war,  he  sent  one  of  his  ofificers  to  the  front,  while  he 
himself  stayed  at  home  and  made  love  to  that  officer's  wife.  On 
other  occasions,  too,  he  deported  himself  unseemly.  As 
a  poet  and  actor,  David  had  his  good  points,  but  as  king,  he 
was  wholly  contemptible. 

Solomon  was  a  genius,  and  he  found  expression  for  his 
creative  energies  in  building  a  temple  for  Jehovah,  who,  it  will 
be  remembered  was  now  the  tribal  God  of  Israel.  His  magni- 
ficent prayer  at  the  dedication  of  that  temple,  bears  witness  to  his 
genius.     Like  David,  he  was  what  they  call  a  voluptuary,  and 


180  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

his  harem,  alluded  to  in  the  Scriptures  as  the  Daughters  of  Jeru- 
salem, must  have  been  great. 

Solomon  was  famous  for  his  wisdom,  but  can  hardly  be 
classed  as  a  king.  He  was  rather  a  shepherd.  Instead  of  turn- 
ing his  energies  outward  and  making  the  foreigners  pay  the  tax 
required  to  build  the  temple  and  support  his  harem,  he  turned 
against  his  own  flock  and  fleeced  the  people  in  true  shepherd 
fashion. 

At  last  the  people  were  on  the  verge  of  revolt,  and  began 
to  ask  this  fatal  question,  "What  portion  have  we  in  this  inherit- 
ance?"   They  were  now  in  the  Promised  Land. 

Millions  of  people  today  can  easily  understand  this  senti- 
ment among  the  ancient  PTebrews,  when  they  read  in  the  news- 
papers every  night  about  the  unprecedent  prosperity  and  do  not 
know  wherewith  to  buy  the  next  meal.  Some  day  they  shall 
ask,  indeed,  they  are  asking  already :  "Where  is  our  share  in  the 
prosperity?" 

"When  Solomon  died,  the  people  asked  his  son  and  suc- 
cessor, Rehoboam,  for  relief,  but  Rehoboam  gave  answer  saying, 
"My  father  chastised  you  with  whips,  I  shall  chastise  you  with 
scorpions." 

Thus  ended  that  class  movement.  For  then  it  was  that  ten 
tribes  left  Jehovah,  his  priest,  and  his  temple,  the  Holy  City  and 
the  Daughters  of  Jerusalem. 

These  tribes  are  spoken  of  as  lost.  Rather  should  we,  in 
view  of  the  subsequent  history  of  the  Jews  speak  of  them  as 
saved.  With  kings  and  without  kings,  the  fate  of  that  people 
is  not  to  be  envied.  Scattered  all  over  the  world,  some  of  them 
to  be  sure,  are  wealthy,  and  a  few  of  them  immensely  rich,  but 
the  majority  of  them  are  poor  and  far  from  the  promised  land. 

THE  PROPHETS 

After  reading  the  law  against  the  dreamer  of  dreams,  we  no 
longer  wonder  that  the  Jews  were  in  the  habit  of  killing  their 
prophets,  and  that  the  prophetic  spirit  finally  left  their  race. 
The  wonder  is  that  some  of  them  escaped.  Perhaps  the  prophets 
whose  words  are  recorded  in  the  Bible  were  false  prophets,  and 
that  they  therefore  were  permitted  to  express  their  thoughts. 
The  true  prophets,  we  should  imagine,  were  promptly  put  to 
death.  For  what  is  a  true  prophet?  As  said  before,  a  dreamer  of 
dreams  must  be  one  who  wants  to  make  everything  new.  Be- 
cause he  is  a  man  of  vision,  to  whom  the  future  is  revealed  with 


THE  BOOK  OF  THE  LA^IB  181 

its  new  customs  and  its  new  ideas  of  God.  The  guardian  of  the 
old  customs  and  the  old  ideas  of  God  are  not  prophets. — they  are 
priests. 

That  the  prophets  of  Israel  were  at  least  partly  priests  is 
evident  from  the  fact  that  they  insisted  on  the  observations  of 
the  customs  of  Moses  and  maintained  that  all  the  ills  that  over- 
came Israel  were  a  punishment  for  their  sins,  that  is  for  their 
failure  to  fulfill  the  laws.  That  it  was  anything  the  matter  with 
the  law  and  with  the  God  who  gave  the  law,  never  seems  to  have 
entered  their  minds. 

And  it  is  worth  noting  that  if  we  believe  the  prophets,  the 
Jews  under  the  laws  and  institutions  of  Moses,  including  the 
rule  of  a  priesthood,  were  not  in  any  respect  better  than  other 
tribes,  physically,  mentally  or  morally. 

Only  in  this  respect  were  they  true  prophets,  that  they 
began  to  prophesy  about  the  coming  of  the  true  Christ,  a  glor- 
ious king  that  should  restore  Israel  to  its  former  glory.  Though 
we  are  at  a  loss  to  know  what  period  in  the  history  of  the  Jews 
the  prophets  had  in  mind  as  a  period  of  the  past  which  they  or 
the  people  should  wish  to  see  repeated.  We  progress  in  the 
manner  of  a  crab  or  a  lobster,  with  our  tail  or  back  foremost, 
always  looking  backward,  always  reading  the  history  of  the  past, 
retreating  from  our  own  image.  If  we  had  an  eye  in  the  back 
of  our  neck,  we  would  be  better  equipped  and  be  better  pre- 
pared for  the  days  to  come.  As  it  is.  we  must  depend  on  the 
more  or  less  reliable  prophets  for  a  look  into  the  future.  The 
prophetic  vision  is  dim  to  say  the  least,  and  we  have  no  social 
organ  for  the  prophets,  not  even  schools  for  the  cultivation  of 
that  spirit.  The  temples  of  the  pagan  nations  made  fortune 
telling  a  part  of  their  business,  and  were  therefore  in  respect  to 
prophecies,  superior  to  the  Christian  churches  or  the  Jewish 
synagogues. 

Personally,  I  like  Jonah  best  of  all  the  prophets.  In  the 
first  place,  he  did  not  want  to  prophesy  the  destruction  of 
Nineveh.  And  when  the  Lord  forced  him  to  do  so,  the  people 
believed  him.  That  shows  he  was  an  honest  man.  And  when 
the  people  mended  their  ways  and  the  Lord  changed  his  mind 
and  did  not  destroy  the  city,  he  did  so  without  the  slightest  re- 
gard for  Jonah's  reputation  as  a  prophet,  and  it  grieved  Jonah. 
The  whole  story  shows  that  the  Lord  made  a  fool  out  of  an 
honest  man.     My  sympathies  are  entirely  with  Jonah. 

The  greatest  of  the  prophets,  however,  was  Isaiah,  and  the 
Fifty-third  chapter  of  Isaiah  contains  the  fatal  prophecy  of  a 
Messiah  as  a  suiTering  Christ.     Indeed  the  whole  chapter  reads 


182  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

as  if  the  prophet  were  repeating  an  already  in  his  days,  ancient 
myth.  We  need  only  quote  one  verse,  "But  he  was  wounded  for 
our  transgressions,  he  was  bruised  for  our  iniquities ;  the  chas- 
tisement of  our  peace  was  upon  him,  and  with  his  stripes  we  are 
healed." 

THE  MESSIAH 

While  the  spirit  of  prophecy  departed  from  the  Jews, 
their  hope  in  the  Messiah  grew  stronger  as  time  passed  on.  At 
last  he  came  and  was  killed,  and  that  he  was  put  to  death  is  the 
best  proof  that  he  was  a  true  prophet.  And  to  be  sure  he  was 
a  dreamer  of  dreams,  with  a  new  idea  of  God,  a  personal  God  of 
his  own  as  opposed  to  the  tribal  God  of  Israel,  and  a  new  form  of 
righteousness  which  did  not  insist  on  the  conformity  to  the  cus- 
toms of  Moses. 

Nevertheless,  in  Jesus  Judaism  came  to  its  bloom.  This  strange 
and  lone  flower  of  the  Mosaic  slave  culture  identified  himself  with 
the  Father,  his  Father,  and,  in  perfect  obedience  to  his  own  and 
his  Father's  Vv'ill,  went  his  own  way.  In  other  words,  Jesus  had  lost 
his  moral  sense  according  to  the  old  code.  No  wonder  that  the  re- 
spectable element  thought  he  had  the  devil  or  that  he  was  drunk, 
calling  him  Beelzebub  and  a  winebibber. 

In  Christ  the  law  was  and  is  fulfilled  by  a  life  of  voluntary 
service,  not  by  a  successful  living  up  its  letters. 

The  non-moral  element,  open  minded  children  and  simple 
minded  people,  understood  him  ;  likewise  the  suffering,  the  sorrow- 
ful, the  abandoned.   But  the  minds  of  the  righteous  were  impregnable. 

A  state  of  perfect  abandon  seems  to  be  the  necessary  condition 
of  one  who  shall  make  everything  new.  And  the  words  of  Jesus, 
the  children  of  his  brains,  if  received  simply  and  directly  as  they 
were  spoken,  have  a  quickening  power  even  today. 

The  Scribes  and  the  Pharisees  as  guardians  of  the  Jewish 
faith  were  in  duty  bound  to  question  everyone  who  claimed  to 
be  the  Messiah,  and  there  were  many  such,  to  ascertain  if  he 
were  the  right  one,  or  only  an  impostor. 

From  the  Gospels,  we  get  the  impression  that  the  Scribes 
and  the  Pharisees  to  begin  with  acted  friendly  towards  Jesus. 
They  came  to  him.  they  invited  him  to  their  homes,  they  gave 
him  a  hearing;  they  questioned  him  especially  in  regard  to  the 
laws  of  Moses,  as  to  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath  and  as  to 
the  marriage  laws.  "And  the  Scribes  and  the  Pharisees  brought 
unto  him  a  woman  taken  in  adultery,  and  when  they  had  set  her 
in  their  midst,  they  said  unto  him.  'Master,  this  woman  was 


THE  BOOK  OF  THE  LAMB  183. 

taken  in  adultery,  in  the  very  act ;  now  Moses  in  the  law  com- 
manded us,  that  such  should  be  stoned,  but  what  sayest  thou?" 

Here  was  a  test  case,  clear  and  strong,  but  Jesus  on  this 
and  other  occasions,  cleverly  dodged  the  question,  although 
there  can  be  no  uestion  about  Jesus'  attitude  toward  the  laws  of 
Moses.  He  never  atempted  to  fulfill  the  law.  He  broke  it  when- 
ever he  saw  fit  to  do  so.  Personally,  he  had  outgrown  the  mor- 
ally-speaking "stoning  age"  of  Moses. 

This  inevitable  conflict  between  priest  and  prophet  gives  to 
the  Gospel  a  great  dramatic  interest,  and  in  the  end,  Jesus  failed 
to  establish  his  kingdom.  Instead,  his  blood  infused  new  life 
into  the  dying  Judaism,  and  gave  to  the  priesthood  a  new  lease 
of  power.  Under  the  name  of  Christianity  the  racial  bonds  of 
that  cult  were  broken  and  it  became  what  it  is  in  even  this  day — 
a  great  world  religion. 

Today,  in  spite  of  all  its  outer  glory  and  display  of  activi- 
ties, Christianity  is  dying.  It  is  dying  in  the  hearts  of  truly 
religious  men  and  women,  and  that  is  death  indeed.  Shall  it 
again  be  able  to  break  its  bonds?  Will  it  again  branch  out? 
And  how  or  in  what  way  shall  new  life  be  infused  into  it?  What 
is  the  new  wine?  These  questions  again  give  to  the  future  a 
new  dramatic  interest. 

According  to  the  gospels,  Jesus  performed  the  customary 
miracles,  stilled  the  storms  and  cured  diseases  by  the  laying  on 
of  hands  and  made  the  blind  see  by  applying  spit,  etc.  It  is  the 
same  old  miracles  performed  in  the  same  old  way.  Of  course 
they  were  needed  in  those  days  to  give  authority  to  a  man's 
teachings.  But  time  is  changed.  Instead  of  giving  authority  to 
his  words,  the  miracles  class  him  with  fakirs.  If  I  perform  a 
miracle,  I  have  proved  to  myself  at  least  that  it  is  possible  to 
perform  them,  but  it  shall  put  no  one  under  obligations  to  be- 
lieve what  I  say  unless  it  first  is  proved  that  miracle  makers 
cannot  lie.  This  old  rut  of  miracles,  any  miracles,  is  a  distress- 
ing affair.  What  is  the  use  of  doing  anything  for  more  sanitary 
conditions  if  people  can  be  cured  by  miracles,  and  what  is  the 
use  of  talking  about  a  more  rational  distribution  of  wealth,  if 
you  can  feed  a  multitude  with  a  few  fishes,  and  say  to  the 
stones,  be  bread?  What's  the  use  of  doing  anything?  Let  us 
pray.  That  is  all  there  is  left  for  us  to  do.  That's  the  distress- 
ing part  of  it,  and  of  course  we  must  not  forget  to  give  God 
the  glory.  In  justice  to  Jesus,  however,  we  shall  quote  what  he 
himself  said  in  regard  to  miracles : 

"An  evil  and  adulterous  generation  seeketh  after  a  sign ;  but 
there  shall  no  sign  be  given  to  it  but  the  sign  of  the  prophet 


184  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

Jonas."  "But  the  sign  of  the  prophet  Jonas." — these  words  do 
not  sound  like  the  words  of  Jesus.  We  take  them  to  be  an  addi- 
tion made  by  the  evangelist  himself, — a  pious  fraud. 

THE  GOSPEL  ACCORDING  TO  UTOPIANS 

In  regard  to  the  birthplace  of  Jesus,  it  is  interesting  to  note 
what  Mark  Twain  says  about  the  Holy  Land.  "He  (the  Savior) 
spent  his  life  and  performed  his  miracles,  preached  his  gospels 
within  a  compass  no  larger  than  an  ordinary  county  in  the 
United  States." 

Jesus  was  an  illegitimate  child.  In  this  all  are  agreed.  If 
his  father  was  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  the  orthodox  pretend  to  be- 
lieve, or  someone  else,  is  in  itself  of  no  interest.  According  to 
one  of  the  fifty-two  gospels  out  of  which  the  four  gospels  were 
chosen,  Jesus  was  the  son  of  a  Roman  Centurion  of  Greek  de- 
scent, by  the  name  of  Fortunam,  and  this  seems  to  many  to  be 
the  most  plausible  account  given.  Being  half  Greek  would 
partly  explain  his  subsequent  breaking  away  from  Judaism. 
But  the  fact  that  Joseph,  his  foster  father,  was  not  his  real 
father  had  probably  more  effect  on  the  formation  of  his  gospel 
than  any  racial  traits. 

Such  unfortunate, — or  shall  we  say  fortunate, — aflfairs,  can- 
not be  hidden,  and  we  can  easily  imagine  that  his  playmates 
taunted  him  with  this  that  he  did  not  know  who  his  father  was, 
and  that  Jesus,  proud  and  sensitive  as  he  must  have  been,  ans- 
wered his  tormentors.  "Mv  father  is  in  heaven."  Illegitimate 
children  and  children  of  divorced  parents  can  easily  imagine  that 
such  may  have  been  the  case,  and  that  the  idea  of  God  as  a 
father  took  root  in  his  consciousness  is  evident.  For  while  this 
idea  of  God  as  a  father  is  not  absent  in  the  old  Jewish  faith,  in 
Jesus  it  was  intensified. 

It  is  greatly  to  the  credit  of  his  foster  father  Joseph,  that 
although  he  was  a  righteous  man,  he  took  care  of  Mary  and  her 
child,  when  the  real  father,  whoever  he  was,  made  himself  ab- 
sent. But  the  fact  that  he  was  righteous  and  most  likely,  in  a 
narrow  sense,  perhaps  created  in  the  boy  Jesus  the  resentment 
against  the  righteous  that  later  on  was  expressed  in  several  of 
his  sayings.  Anyone  who  has  come  in  close  touch  with  righteous 
characters  todav.  righteous  in  a  narrow  sense,  be  it  as  adherent 
to  religious,  political  or  social  creeds,  for  there  are  righteous  ones 
in  all  fields,  will  find  no  difficulty  in  imagining  an  animosity 
towards  the  righteous,  created  in  this  way  for  they  are  always  right, 
intolerably  right. 


THE  BOOK  OF  THE  LAMB  185 

Joseph  must  have  taken  some  interest  in  his  intelligent 
foster  son.  Taught  him  the  law  and  the  prophets  and  the  psalms, 
for  when  Jesus  followed  his  parents  to  Jerusalem  (then  twelve 
years  old),  he  run  away  from  them  and  was  found  in  the  temple 
where  he  astonished  the  Scribes  with  his  wonderful  knowledge 
of  the  scriptures. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  Jesus  acted  under  the  almost 
universal  impulse  in  boys  of  this  age  to  run  away.  In  a  race  of 
pioneers  like  ours,  the  impulse  is  to  go  west.  Among  sea-faring 
nations,  it  is  to  go  sailing.    Jesus  went  to  the  temple. 

Perhaps  it  would  be  well  if  this  impulse  was  heeded  in  some 
way,  in  a  way  that  gave  the  boys  a  freer  choice  of  a  career. 
Jesus  no  doubt  was  fit  for  the  temple,  and  given  the  training 
and  a  seat  of  authority,  he  might  have  made  some  needed 
changes  in  the  customs  of  Moses,  and  instilled  in  the  minds  of 
the  multitudes  a  more  human  idea  of  God. 

As  it  was,  the  will  of  his  parents  prevailed,  and  he  went 
home  with  them.  For  eighteen  long  years,  we  hear  nothing 
about  him,  and  when  he  again  appears,  it  was  as  an  extreme 
opponent  of  the  men  he  as  a  twelve-year-old  boy,  instinctively 
sought. 

THE  KINGDOM 

"Seek  ye  the  kingdom  of  heaven  first.'''  That  is  the  keynote 
of  the  gospel.  He  told  them  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  within 
you.  That  means  that  it  must  exist  as  an  idea  before  it  can  be 
realized  and  to  the  question.  "When  shall  it  come?"  he  made 
them  understand  that  it  would  come  when  that  which  is  without 
shall  be  like  that  which  is  within.     How  otherwise  could  it  be? 

But  so  long  as  his  kingdom  is  not  on  earth,  it  is  only  mock- 
ery to  ask  poor  people  to  come  to  Jesus.  Where  is  his  kingdom? 
Seek  ye  the  kingdom  first. 

If  we  have  in  mind  that  Christ's  sole  mission  was  to  estab- 
lish the  kingdom  of  heaven  on  earth,  and  that  his  teachings  were 
meant  for  that  kingdom  and  for  that  kingdom  only,  many  of  his 
sayings  that  seem  hard  and  irrational  appear  rational  and  just. 
We  must  also  bear  in  mind  that  he  wanted  to  make  everything 
new,  and  was  consequently  from  the  start  in  opposition  to  the 
established  order,  especially  as  represented  by  the  priesthood  of 
his  day.  Therefore,  he  spake  in  parables, — parables  his  imme- 
diate followers  in  many  cases  were  unable  to  understand,  though 
they  were  simple  enough.  But  they  had  their  own,  or  rather 
orthodox  idea  of  Messiah  and  his  kingdom,  as  something  like 
the  kingdom  of  David  and  Solomon  and  quarreled  among  them- 


186  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

selves  about  who  should  sit  next  to  him  when  the  kingdom 
should  have  been  established.  So  far  as  we  can  see,  he  met  not 
a  single  soul  with  whom  he  could  commune,  or  who  had  the 
slightest  idea  about  his  kingdom  as  he  conceived  it  to  be,  or 
would  have  had  the  slightest  interest  in  it,  if  they  had  under- 
stood him. 

We  shall  now  quote  the  parable  that  in  our  estimation  gives 
the  clearest  insight  into  his  idea  of  this  kingdom.  It  must  have 
been  told  toward  the  end  of  his  career.  A  certain  tone  of  bitter- 
ness indicates  that  he  already  knew  That  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
on  earth  was  not  to  be  realized  in  his  day,  as  it  once  seemed 
to  have  been  his  hope. 

But  to  receive  the  gospel  as  Jesus  gave  it,  we  must  for  the 
moment  forget  his  tragic  death.  Then  we  shall  hear  the  glad 
tidings  as  the  people  of  Galilee  heard  it  before  that  event  had 
taken  place,  and  we  shall  in  spite  of  the  intervening  centuries, 
come  within  the  hearing  of  his  voice. 

Jesus,  the  Nazarene,  is  speaking: — 

"The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  certain  king  which 
made  a  marriage  for  his  son,  and  sent  forth  his  servants  to  call 
them  that  were  bidden  to  the  wedding,  but  they  would  not  come. 
But  they  made  light  of  it,  and  went  their  ways,  one  to  his  farm, 
another  to  his  merchandise,  and  another  one  said,  T  have  married 
a  wife,  and  therefore  I  cannot  come.'  'Then,*  said  he  to  his 
sers^ants,  'The  wedding  is  ready,  but  they  which  were  bidden 
were  not  worthy.  Go  ye,  therefore,  into  the  highways,  and  as 
many  as  ye  shall  find,  bid  to  the  marriage.'  So  these  ser\^ants 
went  into  the  highways  and  gathered  together  all  as  many  as 
they  found,  both  bad  and  good,  and  the  wedding  was  furnished 
with  guests, 

"And  when  the  king  came  in  to  see  the  guests,  he  saw  there 
a  man  which  had  not  on  the  wedding  garment,  and  he  saith  unto 
him  'How  comest  thou  in.  not  having  the  wedding  garment?' 
and  he  was  speechless.  Then  said  the  King  to  his  sen-ants, 
Bind  him  hand  and  foot  and  take  him  away  and  cast  him  into 
outer  darkness.     There  shall  be  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth.'  " 

After  Jesus  had  told  this  parable,  the  gospel  goes  on  to  say 
"Then  went  the  Pharisees  and  took  counsel  how  they  might 
entangle  him  in  his  talk.  For  they  thought  he  meant  them.  He 
did.  And  there  went  a  great  multitude  with  him  and  he  turned 
and  said  unto  them,  'If  any  man  come  unto  me  and  hate  not 
his  father  and  mother  and  wife  and  children  and  brothers  and 
sisters,  and  yea,  his  life  also,  he  cannot  be  my  disciple.' 


THE  BOOK  OF  THE  LAMB  187. 

"For  which  of  you,  intending  to  build  a  city,  sitteth  not 
down  first  and  counteth  the  cost,  whether  he  has  sufficient  to 
finish  it ;  lest  haply  after  he  hath  laid  the  foundation,  and  is  not 
able  to  finish  it,  all  that  behold  it  begin  to  mock  him,  saying, 
'This  man  began  to  build  and  was  not  able  to  finish.'  " 

The  tone  of  this  parable  is  not  meek  and  humble.  It  is 
rather  harsh  and  haughty,  there  is  nothing  in  it  to  indicate  that 
Jesus  was  a  gentle  dreamer  or  a  visionary.  Rather.  He  speaks 
here  as  a  rational  and  practical  man  who  knows  what  he  wants 
and  knows  what  is  required  to  carry  out  his  plan.  That  he  did 
not  find  the  material  needed  in  his  day,  does  not  necessarily 
mean  that  his  kingdom  of  heaven  on  earth  is  an  impossibility. 
As  one  out  of  many  Utopias,  it  might  in  our  tim^e  be  easily 
established,  always  provided  that  we  have  the  material. 

And  the  material  to  whom  his  kingdom  shall  appeal  must 
necessarily  be  those  whom  he  supposed  it  to  be — a  gathering  of 
outcasts. 

What  possible  attraction  can  his  kingdom  or  any  Utopia 
have  for  a  business  man  and  farmer?  Or  for  the  newly-wed? 
None,  whatever,  for  the  first  impression  we  get  of  the  kingdom 
in  this  parable  is  that  the  only  institution  on  earth  of  which  we 
have  a  knowledge  that  in  any  way  resembles  this  kingdom  is 
the  poorhouse,  and  when  we  ask  who  shall  pay  for  the  supper, 
we  gather  from  the  gospels  that  Jesus  expected  it  to  be  sup- 
ported by  alms.  Again  we  see  the  resemblance  to  the  poor- 
house.  The  poorhouse,  by  the  way  has  been  slighted  by  so- 
ciologists and  reformers  generally — no  one  seems  to  have  a  good, 
word  for  it.     It  is  like  the  stone  which  the  builders  rejected. 

Jesus  himself  was  a  poor  man.  "And  it  came  to  pass  as 
they  went  in  the  way,  a  certain  man  said  unto  him,  'Lord,  I  will 
follow  thee  whithersoever  thou  goest.'  And  Jesus  said  unto 
him,  'Foxes  have  holes  and  birds  of  the  air  have  nests,  but  the 
Son  of  Man  hath  not  where  to  lay  his  head'.  And  his  sympathy 
with  the  poor  led  him  to  tell  the  parable  about  the  rich  man 
and  Lazarus.  The  rich  man  goes  to  hell  because  he  is  rich  and 
Lazarus  goes  to  heaven  because  he  is  poor.  "But  Abraham  said 
unto  him,  'Son,  remember  that  thou  in  your  life  time  receivest 
the  good  things,  and  Lazarus  likewise  evil  things.  Now  he  is 
comforted  and  you  are  in  torment.'  "  This  may  satisfy  a  primi- 
tive sense  of  justice,  and  judging  a  man's  worth  according  to  his 
wealth  is  still  the  fashion.  For  if  we  put  riches  or  poverty  as 
the  chief  virtue,  it  amounts  to  the  same  thing.  The  dollar  is 
the  standard  by  which  we  are  measured,  and  the  possession  or 
the  non-possession  of  it  shall  decide  our  fate.    Surely  most  men 


188  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

would  hesitate  to  call  that  judgment  just.  But  Jesus  knew  the 
need  of  the  human  heart.  So  he  held  out  to  the  poor  this  hope, — 
that  some  time  they  should  sit  in  heaven  and  see  the  rich  in  hell. 
It  is  said  that  common  people  heard  him  gladly.  This  we  can 
readily  understand.     But  hath  not  this  salt  lost  its  savor? 

His  kingdom  was  not  the  co-operative  commonwealth,  pro- 
posed by  socialists,  neither  was  it  communionistic,  for  com- 
munism recognizes  ownership, — in  common.  His  followers 
should  own  nothing  at  all,  but  give  all  that  they  had  to  the 
poor.  "And  if  anyone  ask  for  your  coat,  give  him  your  cloak 
also."  Tlierefore  it  is  impossible  for  a  rich  man  to  enter  the 
kingdom  of  heaven,  not  because  of  any  personal  qualities  of  the 
rich  man.  Even  if  he  was  a  bad  man,  that  should  not  prevent 
a  rich  man  from  entering  the  kingdom.  Both  good  and  bad  were 
invited  and  came  to  that  supper.  Nor  have  we  any  grounds  to 
believe  that  Jesus  had  any  ill  feeling  towards  the  rich.  He 
looked  at  the  son  of  the  rich  man  and  loved  him.  And  that  boy 
went  away  sorrowfully.  Not  because  Jesus  drew  him  away, 
but  because,  as  the  gospel  had  it,  "he  had  much  property."  In 
the  same  spirit,  the  Scribe  or  Pharisee  that  came  to  the  wed- 
ding feast  was  cast  out.  Earlier,  we  shall  assume,  he  had  said, 
"He  that  cometh  to  me  I  shall  in  no  wise  cast  out,"  but  he  had 
now  come  to  the  conclusion  that  no  compromise  with  that  class  was 
possible.  There  can  be  no  room  for  the  priest  in  his  kingdom. 
Not  that  the  priest  is  bad,  but  of  another  spirit. 

And  further,  "If  any  man  come  to  me  and  hate  not  his 
father  and  mother,  and  wife  and  children,  and  brother  and  sister, 
yea  and  his  own  life  also,  he  cannot  be  my  disciple." 

This  indeed  was  a  hard  saying,  and  many  of  his  followers 
turned  back  when  he  said  that. 

And  he  promised  those  who  shall  leave  father,  mother,  etc., 
for  his  sake,  shall  be  greatly  rewarded  in  heaven.  The  meaning 
is  plain  enough.  In  his  kingdom,  the  family  relations  cannot  be 
recognized.  Not  necessarily  because  he  hated  his  relatives,  but 
because  his  idea  of  an  Utopia  excluded  the  idea  of  the  family  like 
the  idea  of  non-ownership  necessarily  must  exclude  the  rich  man 
until  he  has  given  all  his  wealth  to  the  poor  and  is  rich  no  more. 
As  his  kingdom  excluded  the  family,  he  consequently  repudiated 
marriage,  on  which  it  is  founded.  "The  children  of  this  world 
marry  and  are  given  in  marriage,  but  they  which  shall  be  ac- 
counted worthy  to  obtain  that  world  and  the  resurrection  from 
the  dead,  neither  marry  nor  are  given  in  marriage,  but  are  as  the 
angels  of  God  in  heaven."  And  to  this  on  the  same  occasion,  he 
added,  "God  is  not  the  God  of  the  dead,  but  of  the  living."   And 


THE  BOOK  OF  THE  LAMB  189 

when  the  multitude  heard  this,  they  were  astonished  at  his  doc- 
trine. 

If  this  doctrine  had  been  in  conformity  with  the  Jewish  doc- 
trine of  marriage,  which  is  essentially  the  same  as  that  of  Chris- 
tians of  this  world,  the  multitude  would  not  have  been  aston- 
ished. And  another  evidence  that  his  views  on  marriage  were 
different  from  theirs,  is  that  his  enenies  tempted  him  on  this 
question.  Pressed  hard,  he  said  in  support  of  monogamic  mar- 
riage, that  it  was  two  in  the  beginning,  which  does  not  neces- 
sarily mean  that  these  two  were  married,  for  marriage  like  di- 
vorce, in  his  opinion,  may  have  been  instituted  on  account  of  the 
hardness  of  our  hearts.  It  was  of  this  world,  not  of  his  kingdom, 
where  we  should  be  as  angels  of  heaven. 

As  angels  in  heaven !  This  is  rather  vague,  since  we  know 
so  little  about  the  customs  of  angels  and  still  less  about  the 
anatomy  of  angels.  For  example,  he  told  us  that  children  should 
come  into  heaven,  but  if  it  should  be  adopted,  children  only,  or, 
if  we  as  angels  could  have  children  of  our  own  as  well,  we  do 
not  learn  from  the  gospels. 

In  keeping  with  his  views  that  there  shall  be  no  marriage  in 
heaven  was  his  saying  that  harlots  should  enter  into  his  kingdom 
ahead  of  others.  What  else  could  we  expect?  Harlot  has  to  our 
ears  a  beautiful  foreign  sound,  and  to  get  the  meaning  of  this 
word,  and  to  understand  how  it  must  have  affected  his  hearers, 
we  must  translate  it  to  the  common  word  of  our  own  language, 
namely  prostitute  or  better  still  its  Anglo-Saxon  synonym. 

A  good  insight  in  the  kingdom  we  get  from  these  words : 
"You  know  that  the  princes  of  the  gentiles  exercise  dominion 
over  them,  and  they  that  are  great  exercise  authority  upon  them, 
but  it  shall  not  be  so  among  you.  but  whoever  will  be  great 
among  you,  let  him  be  your  minister,  and  whoever  will  be  chief 
among  you,  let  him  be  your  servant."  This  seems  plain  enough, 
but  in  order  to  impress  it  upon  their  minds  he  had  to  go  through 
the  performance  of  washing  the  feet  of  the  disciples.  What  a 
time  he  had  with  those  disciples !  His  idea  of  the  kingdom  was 
evidently  that  it  should  exist  as  a  smaller  society  within  a  larger 
unit.  "Let  your  light  so  shine  before  men  that  they  may  see 
your  good  works  and  glorify  your  father  which  is  in  heaven." 
Here  the  outsiders  are  not  pictured  as  sinners  or  depraved,  but 
as  glorifying  God. 

Speaking  of  the  kingdom,  he  said,  "It  is  like  a  grain  of 
mustard  seed  which  a  man  took  and  put  in  his  garden,  and  it 
grew  and  waxed  a  great  tree,  and  the  fowls  of  the  air  lodged 
in  the  branches  of  it."    And  again  "It  is  like  a  leaven  which  a 


190  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

woman  took  and  hid  in  three  measures  of  meal  till  the  whole 
was  leavened."  These  parables  show  that  Jesus  did  not  expect 
the  kingdom  to  be  established  in  the  earth  suddenly  or  violently 
but  gradually  like  the  dawning  of  a  new  day. 

Many  of  the  parables  contain  the  idea  of  God  going  away, 
leaving  men  free  to  act.  "A  certan  man  planted  a  vineyard,  and 
set  a  hedge  about  it,  and  digged  a  place  for  the  winefat,  and 
built  a  tower  and  let  it  out  to  husbandmen,  and  went  into  a  far 
country,  and  at  the  season  he  sent  to  the  husbandmen  a  servant 
that  he  might  receive  from  the  husbandmen  the  fruit  of  the  vine- 
yard. And  they  caught  him  and  beat  him,  and  sent  him  away 
empty. 

"And  again  he  sent  unto  them  another  servant,  and  at  him 
they  cast  stones  and  wounded  him  in  the  head,  and  sent  him 
away  shamefully  handled. 

"And  again  he  sent  another,  and  him  they  killed,  and  many 
others ;  beating  some  and  killing  others. 

"Having  yet  therefore  one  son,  his  well-beloved,  he  sent  him. 
also,  last  unto  them,  saying,  they  will  reverence  my  son. 

"But  those  husbandmen  said  among  themselves,  "This  is 
the  heir,  come,  let  us  kill  him,  and  the  inheritance  shall  be  ours. 
And  they  took  him  and  killed  him,  and  cast  him  out  of  the  vine- 
yard. 

"What  therefore,  shall  the  lord  of  the  vineyard  do?  He  will 
come  and  destroy  the  husbandmen,  and  will  give  the  vineyard 
to  others." 

"And  have  ye  not  read  the  Scriptures,  the  stone  which  the 
builders  rejected,  it  became  the  head  of  the  corner." 

This  was  a  challenge  and  the  climax  in  the  controversy  be- 
tween Jesus  and  the  Jewish  priesthood  came  when  the  high 
priest  spake  unto  Jesus  saying: 

"I  adjure  thee  by  the  living  God,  that  thou  tell  us  whether 
thou  be  the  Christ  and  the  son  of  the  living  God?" 

Jesus  saith  unto  him,  "Thou  hast  said.  Nevertheless,  I  say 
unto  you,  Hereafter  shall  ye  see  the  Son  of  Man  sitting  on  the 
right  hand  of  power  and  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven." 

Then  the  high  priest  rent  his  clothes,  saying,  "He  hath 
spoken  blasphemy.     What  further  need  have  we  of  witnesses?" 

Here  we  have  Jesus'  idea  of  God  as  a  power  that  the  son  of 
man  can  use.  For  what  else  does  it  mean  to  sit  at  the  right 
hand  of  power.  To  the  high  priest  it  meant  blasphemy  as  it  is 
if  we  imagine  this  power  as  a  ruling  personality.  But  to  modern 
men  the  idea  of  God  as  a  power  sounds  reasonable.  We  must 
know  the  character  and  the  laws  of  this  power  and  must  conform 


THE  BOOK  OF  THE  LAMB  191 

to  it,  if  we  shall  get  any  benefit  from  it,  but  it  is  not  a  blind 
obedience  to,  but  rather  a  knowledge  of,  the  power  of  God  that 
shall  save  us. 

The  religion  of  Jesus  does  away  with  all  worshiping  of  God. 
Therefore  he  prophesied  that  a  time  shall  come  and  is  now  that 
we  shall  worship  God  in  spirit  and  in  truth  and  God  according 
to  his  idea  being  a  power,  the  one  thing  needful  is  to  come  in 
contact  with  and  to  control  that  power.  Prayer  is  the  means 
towards  that  end.  And  his  disciples  asked  of  him,  "Teach  us 
how  to  pray."  To  know  how  to  pray  is  all  we  need  to  know  in 
regard  to  religion,  and  Jesus'  teachings  are  clear  on  that  sub- 
ject. 

"And  when  thou  prayest,  thou  shalt  not  be  as  the  hypo- 
crites are,  for  they  love  to  pray  standing  in  the  synagogues,  and 
in  the  corners  of  the  streets,  that  they  may  be  seen  of  men.  But 
thou,  when  thou  prayest,  enter  into  thy  closet,  and  when  thou 
hast  shut  the  door,  pray  to  thy  father  which  is  in  secret ;  and 
thy  Father  which  seeth  in  secret,  shall  reward  thee  openly." 

"And  all  things  whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  in  prayer,  believing 
ye  shall  receive." 

What  more  can  we  ask? 

Christians  as  a  rule,  adhere  to  the  customs  of  the  hypocrites 
in  the  time  of  Jesus. 

We  have  not  invented  prayer  wheels  like  the  Buddhists,  but 
like  the  heathens,  we  are  addicted  to  vain  repetitions  of  prayers. 
And  leading  Christians  pray  in  public.  At  the  opening  of  con- 
ventions, dedications  of  buildings  and  other  functions,  they 
pray.  They  pray  for  publication  and  they  pray  from  notes  as 
if  they  had  never  heard  the  words  of  Jesus. 

Lately,  however,  many  have  taken  heed  of  the  teachings  of 
Jesus  in  regard  to  prayer.  The  silent  prayers  of  Christian  Scien- 
tists for  an  example.  Likewise,  "the  going  into  silence"  prac- 
ticed by  kindred  cults  more  or  less  occult.  Stripped  of  all 
occultion  prayer  is  but  another  name  for  desire.  A  desire  that 
can  be  cultivated  by  meditation  until  it  becomes  so  intense  that 
it  brings  results. 

"If  a  son  shall  ask  bread  of  any  of  you  that  is  a  father,  will 
he  give  him  a  stone,  or  if  he  ask  a  fish,  will  he  for  a  fish  give 
him  a  serpent?  Or  if  he  ask  an  egg,  will  he  ofifer  him  a  scor- 
pion?" 

Jesus  on  this  and  other  occasions,  tried  to  persuade  the 
people  that  God  was  not  so  bad  as  he  was  made  out  to  be.  He 
must  have  realized  that  fear,  especially  the  fear  of  Jehovah,  was 
the  principal  causes  of  the  insanities  and  diseases  prevalent,  and 


192  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

although  he  failed  to  save  the  Jews  from  their  phobia,  his 
method  from  a  psycho-therapeutic  point  of  view  was  perfectly- 
correct. 

Jesus,  the  son  of  man.  arrogated  the  power  to  forgive  sin, 
which  was  in  the  eyes  of  the  priest  an  act  of  blasphemy,  and 
in  a  second  coming  of  Christ,  we  should  not  be  surprised  if 
someone  in  his  name  should  declare  an  everlasting  moratorium, 
nor  should  we  be  surprised  if  the  priestly  class  of  that  day 
should  consider  such  a  declaration  blasphemous. 

At  present,  all  of  our  relationships,  according  to  the  spirit 
of  our  time  are  seen  as  the  relationship  of  creditor  and  debtor. 
But  there  are  certain  things  which  it  is  impossible  for  a  man 
to  do  and  one  of  these  things  is  that  we  cannot  love  our 
creditors. 

We  cannot  love  Jesus  so  long  as  we  look  upon  him  as  a 
creditor,  who  bought  us  with  his  blood. 

And  our  mothers,  the  more  strongly  it  is  insisted  upon  that 
we  owe  our  life  and  much  more  to  our  mother,  the  more  difficult 
it  shall  be  for  men  to  love  their  mothers.  For  the  mother  is  then 
put  in  the  creditor  class,  demanding  her  pound  of  flesh,  but  as 
we  do  not  blame  Jesus  for  Christianity,  neither  shall  we  blame 
the  mother  for  the  spirit  of  our  time.  A  true  mother  we  shall 
assume  has  no  desire  to  put  her  boy  under  an  everlasting  obli- 
gation to  her.  But  shall  say  to  him  when  he  is  twelve  years 
old, — "Freely  have  I  conceived  you  and  freely  created  you,  and 
freely  cared  for  you  till  this  day.  Now  you,  too,  shall  be  free." 
And  the  boy  shall  love  his  mother  for  that. 

Brothers,  sisters,  friends,  all  are  our  creditors;  we  owe  them 
so  much  and  are  under  so  many  obligations  to  them,  that  it  is  a 
great  relief  at  times  to  mingle  with  and  to  talk  with  strangers. 

Another  class  of  creditors  are  prophets  and  men  of  genius. 
Because  many  of  them  were  maltreated  in  their  life  time,  we 
in  our  time  are  made  to  feel  guilty  of  neglecting  these  men  to 
whom  we  owe  so  much.  And  w^e  become  prejudiced  against  the 
prophets. 

Finally  we  shall  mention  social,  sectarian,  national  and  sec- 
tional creditors.  Craving  justice  as  it  is  called,  and  in  reality 
revenge  for  defeats  in  former  days  and  for  crimes  committed  in 
former  days  by  our  ancestors  against  their  ancestors.  Surely 
these  sins  ought  to  be  forgiven  and  their  debt  cancelled  by  some 
sort  of  a  declaration  of  an  everlasting  moratorium. 

There  are  in  daily  life,  however,  many  debts  incurred  that 
cannot  be  disposed  of  in  this  manner.  Some  favors,  of  course 
we  can  never  repay  in  money,  the  more  the  pity,  but  in  minor 


THE  BOOK  OF  THE  LAMB  193 

matters  it  is  possible  and  desirable  that  we  have  a  medium  of 
exchange  and  a  wage  of  system  of  some  sort  whereby  it  is  pos- 
sible to  pay  our  creditors  and  be  set  free.  If  they  forgive  our 
debts  as  we  forgive  our  debtors,  that  shall  not  help  matters. 
We  are  then  only  heaping  coals  of  fire  upon  each  other's  heads 
with  the  result  that  our  hatreds  are  intensified. 

In  the  life  of  Jesus,  the  truth  of  the  old  myth  about  men 
or  angels  rising  in  rebellion  against  the  old  god  or  gods  was 
exemplified.  Prometheus  stealing  the  fire  from  heaven  to  help 
men  is  punished  by  the  gods  and  chained  to  a  rock.  Lucifer,  the 
son  of  the  morning,  the  bringer  of  light,  is  cast  into  hell.  Jacob 
wrestled  with  the  Lord  a  whole  night,  but  that  able  and  crafty 
patriarch  forced  his  adversary  to  give  him  a  blessing.  And  he 
was  given  the  name  Israel,  which  means  one  who  has  wrestled 
with  the  Lord.  Jesus,  a  true  Israelite,  wrestled  with  the  Lord, 
although  he  himself  was  not  aware  of  the  fact,  but  imagined 
that  he  was  wrestling  with  Scribes  and  Pharisees  and  not  with 
the  old  god  whose  representatives  they  were.  When  we  con- 
sider that  the  Pharisees  like  the  priesthood  of  any  time,  repre- 
sented the  cultured  and  refined  classes  and  that  they  as  guar- 
dians of  the  old  faith  had  to  be  against  him.  we  do  not  wonder 
that  Jesus  went  under  in  this  unequal  combat. 

The  prophet  as  a  rule  is  rough  and  uncouth,  like  Tohn  the 
Baptist,  who  had  his  raiment  of  camel's  hair,  and  a  leathern 
girdle  about  his  loins,  and  his  meat  was  locust  and  wild  honey. 
Only  when  time  has  softened  the  memory,  can  we  conceive  of 
the  prophet  as  representing  a  higher  type  of  man. 

The  inevitable  encounter  of  prophet  and  priest  often  has  a 
touch  of  the  comical,  as  when  John  was  baptizing  in  the  River 
Jordan,— "But  when  he  saw  many  of  the  Pharisees  and  the 
Saducees,  he  said  unto  them,  'O,  generation  of  vipers,  who  hath 
warned  you  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come?'"  If  John,  after 
this  speech,  did  baptize  the  Pharisees  and  the  Saducees,  the 
gospel  does  not  say.  Perhaps  he  did.  Anyway,  he  ought  to 
have  done  so. 

Jesus,  to  some  extent,  imitated  John.  At  least  he  spoke  in 
the  same  strain,  when  he  said,  "But  woe  unto  you  Scribes  and 
Pharisees,  hypocrites!  For  you  shut  up  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
against  men.  For  ye  neither  go  in  yourself,  neither  ye  suffer 
them  that  are  entering  to  go  in.  Ye  serpents,  ye  generation  of 
vipers,  how  can  ye  escape  the  damnation  of  hell." 

Thus  spake  the  gentle  Jesus.  But  the  Scribes  knew  the  God 
of  Israel  better  than  Jesus  did,  and  when  his  own  God  had  for- 
saken him,  he  hung  there  nailed  to  a  cross,  and  what  could  he 


194  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

do  then?  It  had  to  be.  Every  priest  and  preacher  in  the  whole 
Christendom  from  the  pope  down  to  the  rankest  revivalist,  is  an 
enemy  of  Christ  Jesus. 

"Saul,  Saul,  why  persecutest  thou  me?" 

CHRISTIANITY 

Christianity  began  in  Gethsemane,  to  which  place  Jesus, 
shortly  before  his  death,  had  withdrawn  with  his  disciples. 

"Then  he  said  unto  them,  *My  soul  is  exceeding  sorrowful, 
even  unto  death.    Tarry  ye  here  and  watch  with  me.' 

"And  he  went  a  little  farther  and  fell  on  his  face,  and  prayed 
saying,  'O,  My  Father,  if  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup  pass  from 
me,  nevertheless,  not  as  I  will,  but  as  thou  wilt.' 

"And  being  in  agony,  he  prayed  more  earnestly,  and  his 
sweat  was,  as  it  were,  great  drops  of  blood  falling  down  to  the 
ground." 

Jesus  surrendered.  His  will  was  divided.  Fear  of  God,  the 
tribal  god,  entered  his  heart,  and  his  own,  his  personal  god, 
deserted  him.  If  he  imagined  that  the  God  of  his  fathers  would 
save  him  in  the  last  moment,  like  the  God  of  Abraham  saved 
Isaac  from  being  sacrificed  by  his  own  father,  he  was  doomed  to 
disappointment. 

After  the  execution,  Jesus  went  to  hell ;  three  days  later  he 
arose  from  the  dead  and  was  seen  by  many,  so  the  story  goes ; 
finally,  forty  days  after  the  resurrection,  he  ascended  into 
heaven.    "A  cloud  received  him  out  of  their  sight." 

On  this  story  of  the  suffering  of  Christ,  his  death  and  his 
resurrection  and  his  ascension  into  the  clouds  from  which  he 
shall  come  again,  Christianity  is  founded.  But  before  we  start 
our  sketch  on  the  development,  of  that  cult,  we  shall  dwell  for  a 
moment  on  the  Mount  of  Transfiguration.  Here  some  of  the 
disciples  saw  Jesus  transfigured.  "His  face  did  shine  as  the 
sun  and  his  raiment  was  white  as  the  light."  And  Peter  said, 
"Lord  it  is  good  for  us  to  be  here."  Not  on  the  cross,  but  here 
on  the  mount  of  transfiguration.  And  on  the  day  of  ascension, 
Jesus  was  lifted  up.  Here  he  is  in  a  position  to  draw  men  after 
him,  even  though  it  should  be  by  w:ay  of  the  cross.  And  to  a 
place  where  it  is  good  to  be  we  should  expect  him  to  return  as 
the  victorious  Christ. 

Jesus  went  to  heaven  alone,  so  we  must  go  alone  if  we  shall 
follow  Jesus.  It  is  like  going  alone  into  a  strange  land  and  pre- 
pare a  place  for  the  loved  ones  at  home.  This  separation  must 
necessarily  break  up  families  and  cause  suffering  all  around. 
But  suppose  it  is  the  only  way  to  a  better  land?     And  by  the 


THE  BOOK  OF  THE  LAMB  195 

way,  where  else  should  we  like  to  meet  those  whom  we  have 
loved  and  lost  awhile,  unless  it  be  on  the  mount  of  transfigura- 
tion in  the  dwellings  of  light? 

The  doings  of  the  apostles  in  regard  to  the  kingdom  shall 
now  be  considered. 

"And  all  that  believed  were  together  and  had  all  things  in 
common,  and  sold  their  possessions  and  goods  and  parted  them 
to  all  men  as  every  man  had  need. 

"And  they  continued  daily  with  one  accord  in  the  temple 
and  breaking  bread  from  house  to  house,  did  eat  their  meat 
with  gladness  and  singleness  of  heart,  praising  God  and  having 
favor  with  all  people." 

An  incident  worth  mentioning  is  that  one  Ananias  and  his 
wife  Sapphira  also  joined  this  communinistic  community.  It 
was  required  that  all  who  did  so  should  give  up  their  private 
possessions,  but  these  two  lied  about  it.  and  were  duly  punished. 

Having  still  the  spirit  of  Christ  Jesus,  the  apostles  came  in 
conflict  with  the  priests.  And  the  high  priest  among  other 
things  said,  "Ye  have  filled  Jerusalem  with  your  doctrine,  and 
intend  to  bring  the  man's  blood  upon  us."  Then  Peter  and  the 
other  apostles  answered  and  said.  "AVe  ought  to  obey  God  rather 
than  men,  the  God  of  our  fathers  raised  up  Jesus,  whom  ye 
slew  and  hanged  on  a  tree." 

So  far  the  idea  that  Jesus  was  the  Lamb  of  God  who  car- 
ried th,e  sins  of  the  world  and  had  to  be  sacrificed  in  order  to 
satisfy  Jehovah,  is  absent. 

Absent  is  this  idea  also  in  the  case  of  Stephen,  a  man  promi- 
nent among  the  disciples,  and  a  man  full  of  faith  of  whom  it  is 
written,  "They  were  not  able  to  resist  the  wisdom  and  the  spirit 
by  which  he  spoke." 

Then  they  subpoenaed  men  who  said,  "We  have  heard  him 
speak  blasphemous  words  against  Moses  and  against  God." 

"And  they  stirred  up  the  people  and  the  elders  and  the 
scribes  and  came  upon  him  and  caught  him  and  brought  him 
to  the  council,  and  set  up  false  witnesses  which  said,  "This  man 
ceaseth  not  to  speak  blasphem;ous  words  against  this  holy  place 
and  the  law. 

"For  we  have  heard  him  say  that  this  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
shall  destroy  this  place  and  shall  change  the  customs  which 
Moses  delivered  unto  us." 

These  accusations  are  interesting,  as  they  throw  a  light  on 
what  the  immediate  followers  of  Jesus  taught.  The  author  of 
the  Acts  speaks  of  these  witnesses  as  false.  But  we  have  all  rea- 
sons to  believe  that  they  were  true.     Stephen   himself,  in  his 


196  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

brilliant  speech  before  the  council  of  elders  and  scribes,  did  not 
deny  it.  He  himself  turned  accuser,  and,  like  Peter  and  the 
other  apostles,  put  the  blame  of  the  death  of  Jesus  upon  them. 

"Which  of  the  prophets  have  not  your  fathers  persecuted? 
And  they  have  slain  them  which  shewed  before  of  the  coming 
of  the  Just  One,  of  whom  you  have  been  now  the  betrayers  and 
murderers." 

For  this  apology,  Stephen  was  stoned. 

This  stoning  shows  that  the  Jews  up  to  that  time  of  them- 
selves and  by  themselves  had  not  risen  above  the  laws  of  Moses. 
Later  the  Jews  in  the  school  of  adversity  have  learned  some- 
thing, and  are  now  a  most  liberal  and  progressive  people.  If 
Palestine  should  be  restored  to  them,  would  they,  left  to  them"- 
selves,  be  able  to  retain  these  acquired  characteristics?  Or 
would  they  not,  under  the  influence  of  the  more  othodox  ele- 
ment gradually  and  inevitably  revert  to  the  customs  of  Moses 
and  the  everlasting  stoning  and  stoning.  And  to  a  temple  serv- 
ice, including  an  everlasting  sacrifice  of  animals,  bullocks,  rams, 
g'oats,  sheep,  Iambs,  turtle  doves,  a  butchery  that  must  have 
made  the  temple  or  tabernacle  look  more  like  a  slaughter  house 
than  a  house  of  prayer. 

Renewing  one  narrative  at  the  point  where  Stephen  was 
stoned.  At  this  point  appears  a  man  of  destiny.  Saul,  better 
known  as  St.  Paul.  He  proved  to  be  the  leaven  of  the  Pharisees 
against  which  Jesus  had  warned  the  disciples.  A  leaven  works 
in  a  mysterious  way.  Many,  it  seems  even  today,  are  unaware 
of  the  fact,  that  through  the  leaven  of  St.  Paul's  teachings,  we, 
as  Christians,  become  the  children  of  the  Jews,  and  as  such,  op- 
posed to  Christ  Jesus.  Paul,  himself,  w^as  in  spirit  and  by  train- 
ing, a  Pharisee.  He  had  never  talked  or  walked  with  Jesus,  and 
the  parables  of  the  kingdom  do  not  appear  to  have  made  any 
impression  on  him.  And  to  begin  with,  he  persecuted  the  fol- 
lowers of  Jesus.  He  was  present  when  Stephen  was  stoned,  and 
approved  of  the  deed.  "And  Saul,  yet  breathing  out  threaten- 
ing and  slaughter  against  the  disciples  of  the  Lord," — got  a 
permit  from  the  high  priest  to  go  to  Damascus  and  persecute 
them  there. 

On  the  way  he  was  converted.  Suddenly  there  shined 
around  him  an  exceedingly  bright  light  that  stunned  and  blinded 
him,  and  he  heard  voices.  Three  days  later  in  Damascus  his 
sight  was  restored  to  him  through  the  instrumentality  of  a  man 
by  the  name  of  Ananias,  who  told  him  what  to  do.  (This  is  an- 
other Ananias,  there  must  have  been  many  with  that  name  in 


THE  BOOK  OF  THE  LAMB  197 

those  days.)     The  conversion  of  St.  Paul  was  only  partial.     In 
his  first  letter  to  the  Romans,  he  says : 

"For  the  good  that  I  would,  I  do  not,  but  the  evil  which  I 
would  not,  that  I  do.  O,  wretched  man  that  I  am !  Who  shall 
deliver  me  from  the  body  of  this  death?" 

Poor  saint!  He  was  possessed  by  the  devil.  Now  to  be 
possessed  by  the  devil  may  be  a  man's  greatest  assets.  It  is  an 
energizing  influence.  It  warms  the  heart  and  keeps  up  the  am- 
bition, and,  provided  the  devil  is  kept  under  perfect  control,  he 
is  not  necessarily,  or  in  all  cases,  a  power  of  destruction. 

Paul  evidently  had  no  genius,  hence  this  lack  of  control.  A 
man  with  some  ideas  of  his  own  is  not  easily  converted.  If  he 
adopts  another's  man's  ideas,  it  is  because  he  recognizes  these 
ideas  as  his  own  ideas  amplified  and  clarified,  and  since  they 
are  rooted  in  his  own  experiences,  this  recognition,  while  it  shall 
stimulate  and  strengthen  him  like  a  conversion,  shall  not  make 
him  divided  against  himself,  or  fanatical. 

The  tremendous  activities  of  St.  Paul  were  probably  the 
activities  of  a  tormented  soul  trying  to  flee  from  itself  and  its 
evil  past  and  from  the  memories  thereof.  A  leaven  was  working 
in  him  and  he  was  himself  a  leaven,  and  the  church  that  grew 
out  of  that  ferment  has  the  character  of  Paul.  Like  him,  it  is 
dominated  by  the  power  of  an  evil  conscience,  never  at  peace 
with  itself,  but  torn  by  a  conflict  between  the  carnal  and  the 
spiritual  mind,  it  seeks  relief  in  works  of  charity,  missionary 
work  and  in  the  persecution  of  heretics. 

Already  from  the  start  there  was  controversy  going  on  be- 
tween the  church  at  Jerusalem  presided  over  by  the  disciples  of 
Jesus  and  the  churches  created  by  St.  Paul  concerning  Christ 
and  matters  of  faith.  But  Paul,  a  politician  of  no  mean  calibre, 
got  it  in  his  own  way  by  contributing  money  to  the  poor  breth- 
ren in  the  Holy  City. 

St.  Paul  was  not  hampered  by  any  real  memories  of  the 
real  Christ  Jesus,  and  therefore  in  better  position  to  create  an 
ideal  Christ  in  conformity  to  the  prophecies  of  the  suflfering 
Christ  of  the  prophet  Isaiah  which  we  shall  assume  St.  Paul 
knew,  trained  as  he  was  by  the  Pharisees. 

And  if  his  Christ  is  a  myth  or  partly  so,  this  in  our  opinion 
shall  not  in  the  least  detract  from  his  value.  No  one  will  deny 
the  power  of  that  myth,  if  a  myth  it  be,  or  its  truth  for  that 
matter,  in  a  religious  or  poetical  sense. 

As  the  leaven  of  the  Pharisees  worked,  Jesus'  idea  of  God 
as  one  with  himself,  "He  that  hath  seen  me  hath  seen  the 
Father  disappeared.     Already  in  the  fourth  gospel,  the  deifica- 


198  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

tion  of  Jesus  as  a  different  being  from  other  men  begins.  More 
and  more  he  became  like  Jehovah,  the  tribal  God,  and  at  last 
one  with  that  God. 

How  the  Jews  imagined  their  spiritual  idol  to  look  is  not 
clear  to  us.  Probably  it  was  not  clear  to  them,  and  in  the 
nature  of  the  case  perhaps  cannot  be,  but  there  is  a  saying  in 
the  Bible  that  he  who  sees  Jehovah,  dies.  Probably  the  Jews 
imagined  their  god  to  be  so  fearful  tliat  they  who  saw  him,  died 
from  fright. 

Being  the  creation  of  an  oppressed  people,  Jehovah  natur- 
ally took  on  the  character  of  a  huge  slave  driver.  He  never 
sleeps  or  winks, — his  eye  is  watching  us  always,  what  an  ideal 
overseer  that  is.  To  get  that  insane  image  out  of  our  minds,  it 
is  well  to  remember  the  saying  of  one  of  the  mystics,  "God  needs 
my  eye  to  see  himself." 

St.  Paul  had  this  peculiar  idea  about  God,  that  he  was  like 
a  potter  who  makes  some  vessels  to  honor  and  some  to  dishonor, 
implying  that  we,  the  vessels  of  dishonor,  if  such  we  should 
happen  to  be,  have  no  right  to  object  to  the  place  we  are  put, 
or  to  what  stuff  should  be  poured  into  us.  Recently,  I  read  in 
a  Christian  hymn-book  a  responsive  service.  It  wound  up  with 
this  saying  quoted  from  the  Scriptures,  "There  is  no  God  like 
our  God."  Fortunately,  this  must  be  true,  whichever  way  we 
take  it. 

There  is  no  one  like  Jesus.  His  is  the  only  perfect  life 
lived.  So  they  say,  and  Jesus  who  came  to  forgive  sin  and  do 
away  with  sin  is  made  to  make  sinners  of  us  all.  Like  under  the 
old  dispensation,  all  were  under  condemnation,  for  no  one  could 
fulfill  the  law,  so  under  the  new,  we  are  still  under  condemnation 
because  we  are  not  perfect  as  he  was  perfect.  The  priests  are 
not  now  speaking  of  the  Christ  of  the  gospels,  because  he  broke 
the  laws  of  Moses.  But  they  speak  of  Jesus  after  he  had  sur- 
rendered to  the  tribal  God,  and  quote  from  Isaiah  the  words 
that  give  their  ideas  of  Christ.  "He  was  oppressed  and  he  was 
afflicted  yet  he  opened  not  his  mouth.  He  was  brought  as  a 
lamb  to  the  slaughter  and  as  a  sheep  before  her  shearers  is 
dumb,  he  opened  not  his  mouth." 

In  vain  do  the  Christians  preach  that  the  blood  that  Jesus 
shed  for  our  sins  on  the  cross  is  all-sufficient.  Their  god  is 
never  satisfied.  On  the  battle  fields  of  Europe  today  men  are 
sacrificed  enmasse  to  the  same  Deity.  In  the  trenches  we  have 
the  Gethsemane  and  the  description  of  the  sensations  of  the  sol- 
diers waiting  in  the  trenches  for  the  attack  of  the  enemies,  tallies 
exactly  with  the  gospel  account  of  the  agony  of  Jesus.     The 


THE  BOOK  OF  THE  LAMB  199 

soldier's  first  instinct  is  to  flee.  Their  fingers  twist,  their  knees 
tremble,  and  the  sweat  breaks  out  all  over  their  bodies  And 
what  IS  Mort  Homme"  but  another  Golgotha?  And  if  we  sur 
render  some  more,  the  next  step  in  our  evolution  is  that  we  so 
to  hell  Perhaps  it  is  better  so.  Perhaps  hell  fire  is  the  only 
thmg  that  will  make  us  immune  to  the  priest  whose  sole  aim  is 
to  produce  a  perfect  slave.  It  has  been  said  that  there  is  no 
hell,  but  fear  and  what  we  fear  is  the  unknown.  And  here  it  is 
that  the  priest  gets  his  power,— but  when  we  have  been  in  hell 
and  have  explored  and  come  to  know  that  region,  hell  where 
is  thy  victory?  ' 

During  this  war,  however,  the  tribal  god  and  all  his  priests 
have  gamed  a  victory,  and  after  all  this  great  outpouring  of 
blood  we  shall  expect  a  revival  of  faith  in  Jehovah.  Already  we 
have  the  ancient  preaching  that  war  is  a  punishment  for  our 
sins.  We  have  not  been  obedient  enough.  A  prudent  protestant 
priest,  proposed  to  his  brethren  that  some  means  ought  to  be 
provided  whereby  the  religious  sentiments  generated  in  the 
lousy  trenches  could  be  preserved  for  future  use  in  better  days 
to  come,  when  men  shall  forget  to  fear  God. 

Verily  the  salt  of  the  earth  has  become  a  poisonous  gas 

We  shall  probably  have  a  new  or  renewed  sacrament  to 
celebrate  the  war  and  impress  upon  the  youth  the  gospel  of 
obedience,  repeating  the  old  verse  from  Isaiah  just  quoted  "He 
was  brought  as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter." 

"His  blood  be  upon  us  and  our  children."  So  it  has  been  and 
so  It  shall  be  until  we  have  had  enough  of  the  blood  of  Tesus 
It  IS  really  touching,  this  savage  faith,  that  it  is  possible  to 
acquire  the  virtue  of  an  enemy  by  eating  his  heart  or  drinking 
his  blood.  If  we  have  not  the  spirit  that  was  in  Jesus,  we  can 
at  least  live  as  maggots  in  "Corpus  Christi." 

But  everything  comes  to  an  end.  Not  so  long  ago  the 
sermons  of  the  men  of  God  breathed  hell  fire.  Damnation  was 
on  their  tongues  continually,  even  infant  damnation,  but  thanks 
to  the  compulsory  school  education,  the  thoughts  of  heretics  and 
higher  men  have  reached  the  masses,  and  preachers  dare  not 
outrage  public  sentiment  in  this  respect  any  more.  This  gives 
us  reason  to  hope  that  if  we  are  patient  and  bear  with  them 
awhile,  the  blood  of  Jesus  shall  be  wiped  out  of  their  mouth 

Insofar  as  St.  Paul  had  a  social  ideal,  it  was  more  like 
Plato  s  republic  than  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  It  is  a  body  of 
which  we  are  the  members  and  the  head  is  Christ.  Contrary  to 
this  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  where  no  one  has  authority  over 
us.  and  where  we  can  come  and  go  as  children,  and  contrary  also 


200  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

to  our  republic,  composed  of  free  individuals.  If  we  choose  to 
compare  a  commonwealth  to  a  human  body,  we,  the  members, 
should  be  like  blood  corpuscles,  freely  circulating  through  all  the 
organs  of  the  social  body,  including  the  head.  As  self-rolling 
stones,  we  would  be  impelled  to  seek  the  organs  through  which 
we  were  best  fitted  to  function,  or  in  case  of  emergency,  rush  to 
places  where  we  were  most  needed.  And  if  a  social  body  of  this 
kind  should  become  overcharged  with  energy,  some  members 
as  spermatozoon  would  enter  into  other  social  bodies,  that  might 
crave  to  be  renewed  or  vivified,  this  by  some  sort  of  social  copu- 
lation. 

The  church  can  never  be  the  body  of  Christ  Jesus,  only  his 
kingdom  could  be  spoken  of  as  that. 

At  best  the  church  is  an  adulteress.  Indeed,  there  is  much 
in  favor  of  a  wide-spread  opinion  that  the  church  is  the  "great 
whore"  spoken  of  in  the  Revelation,  with  whom  the  kings  of 
the  earth  have  committed  fornication.  "And  the  merchants  of 
the  earth  are  waxed  rich  through  the  abundance  of  her  deli- 
cacies." 

THE  POWERS  THAT  BE 

The  first  delicacy  was  served  by  St.  Paul  in  his  first  epistle 
to  the  Romans.    The  thirteenth  chapter  of  that  letter  begins  like 

this: 

"Let  every  soul  be  subject  to  the  higher  powers,  for  there 
is  no  power  but  of  God.  The  powers  that  be  are  ordained  of 
God.  Whosoever  resisteth  the  power,  resisteth  the  ordinance  of 
God,  and  they  that  resist  shall  receive  unto  themselves  damna- 
tion." And  so  on  the  whole  chapter.  What  rulers  or  what 
powers  that  be  could  ask  for  any  stronger  endorsements  and  to 
be  sure  the  rulers  have  not  been  slow  in  accepting  the  idea  that 
their  power  is  divine.  An  old  idea  by  the  way,  which  St.  Paul 
only  adopted. 

This  delicacy  also  pleased  the  priests  as  soon  as  they  were 
ordained.  They  were  then  placed  in  the  seats  of  authority,  and 
finally,  during  the  medieval  ages,  a  rule  of  priesthood  was  estab- 
lished that  ought  to  have  pleased  even  Moses,  especially  their 
faithful  obedience  of  the  commandment  to  kill  the  dreamers  of 
dreams. 

Thus  the  leaven  of  the  Pharisees  worked,  and  worked 
so  that  conditions  today  are  very  similar  to  those  of  Judeah. 
Instead  of  the  insane  running  wild  in  ruins  and  empty  graves, 
we  have  to  be  sure,  asylums  for  them,  but  in  proportion,  prob- 
ably more  of  them.     We  have  not  many  lepers  but  plenty  of 


THE  BOOK  OF  THE  LAMB  201 

consumptives.  We  are  not  any  better  off  now  than  in  the  time 
of  Jesus.  But  surely  we  cannot  blame  him  for  that,  since  we 
did  not  seek  his  kingdom  first,  in  fact  we  did  not  seek  it  at  all. 
After  the  appearance  of  St.  Paul  the  movement  was  infused  with 
an  almost  insane  fear  of  God  and  consequently  degenerated  into 
an  unseemly  scramble  for  salvation  that  resulted  in  the  so- 
called  dark  ages. 

Then  came  the  rennaisance  movement,  which  gave  birth  to 
modern  art,  science,  invention,  our  industrial  system  and  free 
institutions.  But  this  movement,  it  seems,  has  spent  its  force, 
and  the  forces  of  religion  are  invoked  in  favor  of  the  powers  that 
be  and  it  is  therefore  meet  before  we  go  farther  to  cast  a  glance 
at  the  modern  state  and  the  powers  behind  it  so  we  shall  be  able 
to  see  where  we  are  and  where  we  are  going. 

For  that  purpose,  we  shall  read  Prince  von  Bulow's  "The 
German  Empire",  and  we  glean  from  this  admirably  frank  book 
the  ideas  ci  a  modern  state,  that  of  many  is  considered  ideal.  It 
is  claimed  to  be  the  best  system  ever  invented,  and  we  are  today 
not  in  position  to  deny  that  ciaim.  f^^or  in  democracies  a  somewhat 
similar  order  prevails. 

In  the  German  Empire  then,  there  is  first  a  ruling  hered- 
itary and  military  class  headed  by  an  Emperor.  Secondly,  a 
priestly  class  including  officials  and  professionals,  and  thirdly,  a 
laboring  class  or  the  proletariat. 

Now  what  difference  is  there  in  that  state  of  affairs,  and  the 
state  of  affairs  in  ancient  Egypt  in  the  time  of  Moses,  or  the  state  of 
affairs  in  a  savage  tribe  where  a  chief  and  medicine  man  rule  the 
rest? 

In  principle,  none  whatever ;  only  the  Germans,  profiting  by 
the  experience  of  others, — and  that's  not  so  easily  done, — have 
elaborated  and  perfected  the  system  to  suit  their  peculiar  needs. 

Prince  von  Bulow,  of  course,  believes  that  the  rule  by  the 
strong  will  of  a  privileged  class  is  the  best  for  all  concerned. 
He  realizes  that  talent  ought  to  be  rewarded  and  that  the  labor- 
ing classes  should  be  cared  for,  as  this  shall  prevent  the  intel- 
lectuals from  making  common  cause  with  the  laboring  classes. 
For  this  is  the  real  danger.  It  was  such  a  combination  that 
brought  about  the  French  revolution.  It  is  all  so  simple,  reward 
the  talents,  and  the  talented  are  satisfied.  Care  for  the  laborers 
and  they  shall  not  care  for  the  ideas  of  the  German  Social 
Democrats. 

So  far  Prince  von  Bulow.  In  passing,  let  us  say  that  the 
French  revolution  was  in  the  main  beneficial  only  to  the  class 
from  which  the  intellectuals  referred  to  belonged,  namely,  the 


202  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

middle  class.  The  laboring  class  was  not  considered.  From 
this  we  should  conclude  that  an  advancement  of  the  laboring 
class  must  be  instigated  by  intellectuals  of  that  class  making 
common  cause  with  a  class  still  less  considered  politically,  eco- 
nomically and  socially,  namely,  woman.  Further,  let  us  here 
remark  that  the  social  genius  of  all  races  in  their  most  vigorous 
period  is  to  be  divided  into  numerous  kingdoms.  The  will  to 
melt  humanity  into  a  waste,  homogenous  mass  marks  the  be- 
ginning of  decay,  no  matter  what  the  central  idea  of  the  empire 
may  be,  be  it  a  powerful  dynasty,  an  all-embracing  faith  like 
Christianity,  or  an  all-dominating  moral  system  like  that  of 
China. 

We  shall  now  fix  our  attention  on  a  far  more  interesting 
power  than  the  empire,  namely,  the  invisible  government. 

In  the  earlier  stages  of  idolatry,  people  sometimes  chastised 
their  gods,  and  that  was  probably  the  principal  reason  why 
Moses  made  his  god  invisible  and  forbade  the  Jews  to  make  an 
image  of  him.  Something  similar  has  taken  place  among  men. 
The  Emperors,  the  Kings,  officials,  and  other  leading 
men  that  we  see  or  read  about,  are  only  the  puppets,  the  image, 
as  it  were  of  the  real  powerful  men  whose  influence  or  power 
operates  and  is  felt  everywhere  while  they  themselves  are  hid- 
den. This  power  is  generally  recognized  as  capitalism.  In 
reality,  it  is  a  new  revelation  of  God,  or  to  express  it  more 
clearly,  capitalism  is  the  golden  calf  spiritualized.  The  laws 
and  functions  of  capitalism  are  generally  known  and  need  not 
be  be  repeated.  What  we  want  is  something  more  tangible  than 
spirit,  and  the  soul  of  capitalism  is  embodied  in  the  safe  in- 
vestor. Safety  first  is  his  main  concern,  and  therefore  he  hides 
himself  to  begin  with.  He  is  not  vain  or  puflfed  up,  at  least  not 
visibly  so,  and  is  as  a  rule  a  good  Christian  or  Jew.  And  he  can 
easily  afiford  to  appear  meek  and  humble,  conscious  as  he  is 
that  he  is  right  with  God.  Or  if  he  be  a  great  investor,  he 
knows  that  he  sits  at  the  right  hand  of  power. 

Simple  minded  people  are  apt  to  imagine  that  the  safe  in- 
vestor as  such  is  simply  a  parasite  that  could  be  dispensed  with 
without  serious  consequences.  Even  as  a  parasite,  the  safe 
investor  is  by  no  means  idle.  Capital  is  sensitive,  it  is  said,  or 
as  we  would  say  since  capital  in  itself  is  dead,  the  safe  investor 
is,  and  his  activities  are  not  confined  to  the  limited  field  of  seek- 
ing safe  investments  for  his  capital  in  enterprises  that  promise 
to  give  returns  in  the  form  of  interest,  rent  or  profit.  He  is 
necessarily  interested  in  the  increase  of  population  or  the  crea- 
tion of  a  surplus  of  labor  on  which  returns  largely  depend.    And 


THE  BOOK  OP  THE  LAMB  203 

also  in  the  proper  education  of  the  people     To  that  .„.<  i, 
recognize  the  talents  of  those  who  work  LI'  '"^  """' 
repress  others  whose  views  >nhirestim^t,n  '  '"'""''''■  ^"<' 

wise  with  institutions,  the  chucliisT,!  fi"  T, '"'""°"'-  ^''^'- 
versities  is  a  close  secind  The  mome  the  '™"'''  "'=  ""'" 
they  instantly  lose  his  suonorf  !,.     T        f^  ^°  "°'  ^"'•'<'  h'™. 

an  individuafchurctor  PpSr  evlt'e'r  f  o™  r"'  """  "^^" 
laid  out  by  the  safe  investor     <;.?  "'^  "^■"■■°"'  P^'h 

vored  sinc"^  di  cuss  on  of  po,itical"and'°','"'''  '''  «'"^""^  ''- 

rule,  prohibited  in  the  lod|e°  11.^"  VH  ^ "bot'h'^f "r"  "'d  ^^  ' 

"IZt  "'  ""'^'^"^  ^y  'he  unseen  govemmen  O  tbf  '"" 
shall  become  painfullv  aw^^r^  ^h^         government,     ut   this   we 

of  real  value  oppose  "Lhis'nt^rest™""™'  "^  ^™'^  ^""^"""^ 

n,aJ:sra-^^rptiir";aiti:?LXn°\""^'  -*  "> 

nnrl     fl^^    U        i.  »  n.an_y      lULereSteU     m     his     inVP'^ttnpnf 

and  the  best  means  toward  thai-  pnrl  ic  -n,     rr     •        ^"^estment 

own  way  at  present,  but  other  forces  are  at  woTv    n       7 

his  position  ^^'^^  *o  undermine 

proletariat  to  do  away  with  wage  slavery 

value'^^h'an  cltr  'h'°"'  ^"-^.'^  ^"^  -»"  something  of  ,.ore 
vaiue  tnan  capital.     Having  a  miss  on,  I  take  the  ofFen=iv„    ti, 
advantage  of  which  no  strategist  will  denv      a!  °'^^"^')^.  the 
m^  cause  is  holy.     Now  my  fpponTl'^eTresfn      hrfo^:;'; 

n  fficiel  :'er  tr^r'^'t'^  '-fS™-^'".  'he  worthless   th 
uiemcients    etc.     burely,  he  that  does  away  with  slaverer  f^v«e 

away  the  sin  of  the  world,  for  there  is  no  sin  Tut  slavery'         " 

fatal  sb.L'"W  ",."""'  '"'r';^  ""'  formulated  this  famous  and 
ratal  slogan,     Workingmen,  Un  te '"    This  ^V.nw=  fin.f  i, 

middle-class  philosopher.     No  in.elligelt  pr^tlian,     avinTth: 

^1  •  piuieiariat  as  a  homos'enotis  mace      T  I'l^^i. 

ZiriLTllr''''  '-  '  "^^^  °<  sinne-rs.rdTrolitica: 
speaKs  about  people  as  common  or  plain 

To  a  proletarian,  the  masses  are  dissolved  into  individuals 

classes  on'do'sr";'  ""J-^"'  ^'P'^^"°"^-  '"  '-'  '""  laboring 
Classes  on  closer  observation  seems  to  be  more  markedly  indi- 
vidualized than  the  business  or  professional  classes,  as  w  11  he^ 
may  be,  since  they,  as  a  rule,  have  had  more  varied  experiences 


204  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

and  have  been  less  under  the  moulding  and  levelling  influences 
of  schools  and  polite  society.  To  the  proletarian  the  business 
men  and  the  professionals  appear  more  standardized,  and  there- 
fore more  common  than  other  people,  both  in  their  sentiments 
and  in  their  manners. 

Socialists,  like  scientists  and  all  religionists,  have  little  or  no 
genius.  They  are  all  sane  and  conservative.  Therefore  they 
cannot  abolish  wage  slavery  but  only  change  its  form.  The  only 
way  to  abolish  wage  slavery  is  to  work  for  nothing,  or  for  some- 
thing else  than  wages.  But  to  work  for  nothing  when  wages  may 
be  had,  why,  that  is  insanity.  And  as  to  our  mission  of  saving, 
Jesus,  they  would  never  think  of  that. 

All  conservatives  are  imperialists ;  they  are  scientific.  Truth 
is  the  law,  and  it  is  one,  but  they  do  not  know,  or  fail  to  recog- 
nize the  truth,  that  living  forms  and  social  forms  as  living  forms 
must  change  and  differentiate  if  life  in  its  manifestations  shall 
not  be  drab  and  gloomy. 

This  striving  for  unity,  since  it  is  against  life,  often  tends 
to  dissolve  an  empire,  for  it  was  internal  forces  that  disintegrated 
the  Roman  Empire  and  the  Roman  Church  Empire  generated 
within  itself  the  forces  of  reformation,  and  would  have  been 
destroyed  by  them  had  it  not  been  separated  from  the  elements 
that  represent  protestantism. 

A  movement  to  abolish  wage  slavery  through  utopianism 
shall  probably  result  in  the  salvation  of  the  capitalistic  system 
and  the  wage  system  on  which  it  depends  within  the  limits  our 
influences  shall  determine  and  for  the  benefit  of  those  to  whom 
this  system  is  agreeable,  and  for  our  own  benefit. 

Our  movement  is  neither  a  political  or  a  religious,  but  an 
aesthetic  movement,  and  in  creating  new  social  forms,  it  must, 
like  life  and  all  true  art,  strive  for  new  forms  of  expression.  But 
as  a  striving  for  unity  generally  results  in  diversity,  so  a  striving 
for  diversity  most  likely  shall  result  in  a  more  uniform  social 
relationship.  Like  the  freedom  to  invent  and  use  different  tools 
or  machinery  generally  results  in  the  universal  use  of  the  best 
and  most  available  in  any  branch  of  industry. 

Offering  an  opportunity  to  take  the  initiative,  our  movement 
shall  lift  the  gloom  hanging  over  us  as  threatening  clouds  of 
social  questions,  as  it  is  written,  and  it  cannot  too  often  be  re- 
peated, "Willing  delivereth."  On  the  experimental  plan,  we  shall 
among  other  things,  be  delivered  from  the  spirit  of  revenge  or 
the  brooding  over  real  and  imaginary  wrongs. 

Keeping  on  the  surface  of  things,  and  if  we  should  succeed 
in  our  mission,  people  would,  perhaps,  be  stupefied  by  happiness. 


THE  BOOK  OF  THE  LAIklB  205 

This  thought  ought  to  make  us  hesitate.  But  having  been 
through  the  mill,  as  we  have  been,  we  should  be  able  at  least 
to  keep  our  wits  for  a  millennium,  and  then  if  need  be,  we  shall 
again  let  loose  the  devil  for  a  season  to  brighten  our  consciousness 
and  sharpen  our  wits.  But  shall  we  then  have  sense  enough 
left  to  do  so.  The  secret  of  it  is.  the  stupidity  resulting  from 
happiness  or  from  any  other  cause,  is  the  very  thing  that  un- 
chains the  devil.     It  works  automatically. 

To  expect,  as  the  socialists  do,  that  the  present  mode  of 
production  developed  under  a  keen  competition  for  profit  could 
successfully  continue  when  that  motive  no  longer  exists  may 
be  scientific,  but  it  is  not  reasonable  to  expect.  When  a 
greater  degree  of  freedom  and  a  greater  power  of  our  genius  is 
obtained,  we  shall  expect  new  methods  of  production  and  dis- 
tribution of  wealth,  dififerent  and  superior  to  the  present  methods 
as  the  present  are  superior  to  the  ancient. 

Different  forces  require  the  use  of  different  devices  if  they 
shall  be  harnessed  and  made  to  do  our  Avork.  For  wind,  we  have 
sails;  for  water,  wheels;  for  steam,  engines;  for  electricity, 
motors;  etc.  When  the  present  forces  then,  shall  be  subdued 
by  or  discarded  for  other  and  mightier  forces,  an  entirely  differ- 
ent kind  of  machinery  shall  come  into  existence,  and  mighty 
engines  that  are  now  deemed  great  and  necessary,  shall  then 
fall  into   disuse. 

Why  should  we  continue  to  build  pyramids  when  Pharoahs 
no  longer  reign? 

And  this  is  the  dilemma  of  the  capitalist  class  that  modern 
machinery  cannot  be  made  and  successfully  operated  by  devout 
and  ignorant  men,  and  that  the  same  intelligence  that  is  required 
of  the  workingmen  for  modern  methods  of  production,  prompt 
them   to   demand  the   full  value  of  the   product   of  their  labor. 

This  demand,  granted,  or  obtained,  shall  kill  capitalism,  but 
it  shall  not  do  away  with  wage  slavery,  for  the  full  value  of  the 
product  of  my  labor  would  then  be  my  wages.  This  is  at  least 
dimly  perceived  by  wage  earners.  They  feel  that  under  social- 
ism they  would  still  be  dependent  upon  their  wages.  Hence  a 
lack  of  enthusiasm  on  the  part  of  the  masses  for  socialism.  This 
apathy  cannot  be  ascribed  to  a  lack  of  knowledge  of  the  prin- 
ciples of  socialism.     They  are  generally  known. 

As  said  before  the  only  way  to  abolish  wage  slavery  is  to 
work  for  nothing,  or  for  something  else  than  wages.  Working 
for  nothing  brings  the  creator  of  wealth  to  the  front.  A  man  and 
woman  who  wanted  to  do  something  on  that  condition  would 
be  welcome  to  any  burgh.    He  or  she  would  be  the  master  of  the 


206  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

situation.     Under  any  system  of  wages,  the  one  who  holds  the 
pay  roll  is  the  master. 

And  the  masses  must  not  be  confounded  with  the  leaders 
and  agitators  in  the  socialistic  movement.  Their  enthusiasm  is 
not  aroused  by  any  prospect  of  getting  the  full  value  of  the 
product  of  their  labor,  but  by  the  fact  that  they  have  found  a 
mission,  an  inspiring  cause  to  work  for  and  strive  for,  often  to 
;b.e  detriment  of  their  pecuniary  interests.  In  other  v/orrl?,  the 
leaders  of  socialism  as  a  rule  are  enthusiastic  workers  because 
they  work  for  nothing. 

We  can  never  be  satisfied  with  wages.  To  do  something, 
or  get  something  for  nothing — that's  what  gives  us  joy.  We 
have  all  had  the  experience  that  it  gives  us  greater  pleasure  to 
win  a  bet  or  receive  a  dividend  from  an  investment  or  the  profit 
from  a  successful  speculation,  than  to  receive  wages  for  honest 
toil.  This  is  by  no  means  a  sign  of  perversity  in  the  human 
nature.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  evidence  of  our  innate  nobility. 
For  the  pay  envelope  is  a  badge  of  servitude,  and  it  is  to  our 
credit  that  we  receive  our  wages,  as  we  do,  with  a  sense  of 
shame,  for  it  shows  that  no  matter  how  long  we  have  been 
trained  in  servitude,  in  our  innermost  heart,  we  are  free  men, 
biding  our  time,  waiting  for  our  day  of  deliverance,  as  we  wait 
for  pay  day,  fur  that  great  day  when  we  shall  not  be  dependent 
upon  wages. 

People  try  to  hide  the  shame  of  receiving  wages  by  giving 
wages  dififerent  naines.  Salary  seems  to  be  the  most  popular, 
but  then  we  have  fees,  royalties,  etc. 

In  love  affairs,  the  shamefulness  of  wages  is  most  generally 
recognized.  Now  it  is  natural  for  a  man  to  give  to  the  woman 
he  loves  precious  gifts,  or  everything  that  he  has,  as  it  is  also 
natural  for  a  woman  to  receive  everything  from  the  man  who 
loves  her.  In  fact,  she  expects  gifts,  and  glories  in  them,  not 
so  much  for  the  intrinsic  value  of  the  articles,  but  because  they 
are  an  evidence  of  his  love.  So  there  is  nothing  objectionable 
in  the  giving  or  receiving  so  long  as  love  is  the  ruling  motive 
on  the  part  of  men  and  women. 

But  the  moment  she  receives  wages,  that  is,  when  she 
charges  a  fee  for  her  favors,  she  is  a  prostitute. 

And  so  with  all  wages,  though  in  lesser  and  different  de- 
grees. They  are  all  wages  of  sin,  the  only  sin,  namely,  slavery, 
and  a  mark  of  prostitution. 

But  human  beings  can  sink  to  a  still  lower  depth  than  prosti- 
tution, as  evidenced  by  the  men  and  women  who  live  on  the 
wages  of  others.     That  is  panderism. 


THE  BOOK  OF  THE  LAMB  207 

Shall  this  be  the  ending  of  the  story  of  the  Wandering  Jew 
that  he  at  last  goes  back  to  Egypt  and  finds  rest  and  peace  for 
his  soul  beside  the  fleshpots  of  that  country,  and  take  his  child- 
ren to  the  Christians  with  him.  Everywhere,  the  leaven  of 
Judaism  is  at  work:  in  churches  and  lodge  rooms;  in  schools  and 
m  literature;  in  art,  etc.  Is  not  our  whole  atmosphere  saturated 
with  a  religion  that  had  its  origin  in  Egypt?  How  can  we 
then,  escape  the  condition  of  Egypt?  A  waste  horde  of  slaves 
ruled  by  a  priestly  and  military  caste?  It  does  not  seem  possible. 
But  the  end  is  not  yet. 

OUR  KINGDOMS 

When  Aaron  wanted  to  make  an  idol,  all  he  had  to  do  was 
to  throw  pieces  of  gold  into  the  fire  and  it  came  out  a  golden 
calf.  So  it  seems  that  no  matter  what  we  do,  no  matter  what 
social  movement  Ave  inaugurate,  after  it  has  been  through  the 
fire,  it  always  comes  out  an  empire,  composed  of  a  leader  of 
worldly  affairs  and  his  followers,  and  a  leader  of  a  class  devoted 
to  spiritual  affairs  and  a  more  or  less  neutral  mass.  Now  we 
ought  to  rejoice  in  this  as  in  the  discovery  of  an  im.portant 
social  law. 

If  an  empire  is,  like  the  golden  calf,  an  inevitable  outcome, 
let  us  make  it  over  to  suit  ourselves.  And  the  first  consideration 
must  be  that  it  must  not  grow  beyond  our  control,  and  it  shall 
in  no  way  rule  over  us,  but  every  calf  is  an  embryo  apis  or  an 
empire  in  the  making,  that  has  it  in  it  to  dominate  and  bully 
everybody  and  to  stunt  its  growth  without  destroying  its  health 
and  beauty  is  no  easy  task.  Over  in  Japan,  however,  this  is  suc- 
cessfully done  with  certain  trees. 

Having  decided  on  the  suitable  size  for  a  Kingdom,  tlie  next 
is  to  give  to  the  king  his  proper  place,  and  that  should  be  that  of  a 
sentinel  watching  over  the  Kingdom  day  and  night.  Birds  have 
sentinels  Vvhen  they  are  feeding  and  roosting,  and  people  v.dio  are  en- 
gaged in  creative  v^ork,  dreamers  especially,  are  helpless  in  the  hands 
of  those  who  prey  upon  the  community,  and  the  same  holds  good  for 
other  producers.  To  the  extent  that  they  become  interested  or  ab- 
sorbed in  what  they  are  doing,  to  that  extent  they  are  helpless,  and 
to  that  extent  they  need  a  sentinel  to  inform,  them  of  danger,  and 
combat  the  enemies. 

The  priestly  element  we  can  safely  leave  to  themselves,  pro- 
vided they  are  members  of  our  kingdoms  and  not  affiliated  with 
or  subject  to  any  power  resident  in  another  kingdom  or  empire. 

The  main  point,  however,  is  the  size.  For  it  is  esential  that 
if  a  king  should  betray  his  trust  as  a  sentinel,  that  he  should  not 


208  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

be  so  far  away  but  that  my  hand  can  reach  him.  Vengeance  is 
mine  and  revenge  is  sweet.  For  no  matter  how  small  the  Kingdom 
is  the  vigilance  must  be  kept  up  if  we  shall  preserve  our  liberties. 
And  anyone  who  in  his  boyhood  ever  chased  a  calf  will  remem- 
ber how  onery  even  a  little  calf  can  be. 

Once  the  ordained  ones  entertained  the  preposterous  thought 
tliat  they  could  dictate  to  me  and  other  people  what  we  should  believe 
or  not  believe,  but  this  peculiar  phase  of  autocratic  impudence  is 
now  a  thing  of  the  past,  but  the  powers  that  be  in  our  Republic  have 
we  elected,  and  they  are  just  as  good  or  better,  and  just  as  efficient 
as  those  ordained  by  God.  And  there  is  no  good  reason  why  our 
genius  should  not  be  able  to  create  kingdoms  just  as  good  and  better 
than  any  kingdom  ever  made. 

The  greatest  obstacle  is  class  consciousness.  Class  con- 
sciousness is  the  chain  that  binds.  It  should  not  be  cultivated, 
but  destroyed  by  individual  efforts,  that  shall  prove  that  there  is 
nothing  in  heaven  or  in  earth  to  which  I  may  not  aspire  and 
nothing  I  may  not  attain,  regardless  of  class.  Among  free 
men  I  need  no  other  authority  but  what  my  personality  and  my 
words  carry.  If  I  speak  like  a  fool  my  fellowmen  shall  know  it 
and  perhaps  enjoy  it.  If  I  say  something  good  others  may  profit 
by  it,  and  if  I  am  mistaken  in  what  I  say,  I  have  given  my  fellow- 
men  an  opportunity  to  correct  me.  No  matter  how  fantastic 
my  views  on  social  and  religious  questions  may  be,  my  expressing 
them  is  a  good  deed,  for  I  am  not  indififerent.  Indifference  is 
deadly,  more  especially  to  free  institutions. 

What  elements  in  our  present  day  have  we  that  are  free 
from  class  consciousness  and  free  from  the  faith  in  authority 
ordained  by  God,  and  being  free  from  the  old  are  also  free  to 
create  something  new?  Perhaps  the  material  should  mainly 
consist  in  the  same  elements  that  made  up  the  supper  party  in 
the  parable  previously  quoted.  But  these  poor,  good  and  bad, 
as  well  as  the  suffering  Christ,  whom  we  have  made  it  our  object 
to  save  or  transform,  cannot  save  themselves.  Although  they 
can  and  do  save  others.  Many  make  a  living  out  of  the  poor  and 
others  make  money  out  of  the  crucified  Savior.  The  problem, 
in  many  cases,  would  be  to  make  an  institution  like  a  poor  house 
absolutely  independent  and  self-supporting.  But  in  order  to 
make  it  so,  it  seems  that  its  personnel  had  to  be  extended  so  as 
to  include  the  objects  of  the  so-called  higher  charities,  that  is, 
scientists,  artists,  inventors,  etc.,  in  other  words  a  merging  of 
Christ's  kingdom  composed  of  the  poor  in  spirit,  with  Nietz- 
sches'    Zarathustra    Kingdom,   composed   of   the   rich   in   spirit. 


THE  BOOK  OF  THE  LAMB  209 

Add  to  these  a  king  after  their  own  heart  and,  to  use  a  common 
expression,  we  would  have  a  combination  hard  to  beat. 

An  Utopia  composed  of  only  one  kind  of  people  would  neces- 
sarily be  a  monotonous  affair,  and  composed  of  intellectuals,  as 
the  Zarathustra  Kingdom,  or  Brook's  Farm,  it  is  wrong  in  prin- 
ciple. Intellectuals  are  the  salt  of  the  earth  and  salt  should  not 
be  found  in  lumps,  but  permeate  the  whole  dough.  A  few  grains 
in  each  community  is  sufficient  to  keep  it  fresh.  And  what  is  said 
about  the  salt  holds  good  for  ferments  and  other  ingredients  that 
may  be  needed  in  order  to  give  to  the  bread  of  life  an  agreeable 
flavor. 

These  elements  are  not  closely  attached  to  present  customs 
or  ways,  neither  are  they,  as  a  rule,  occupied  in  that  unseemly 
scramble  for  salvation  or  wealth.  We,  therefore,  consider  them 
the  best  available  material  existing  for  social  experiments,  even 
as  an  attempt  to  introduce  Christ's  kingdom. 

But  would  not  those  who  live  on  the  poor  produced  by  the 
customs  of  Moses  and  other  customs  use  all  their  powers  to 
prevent  the  introduction  into  modern  society  of  the  customs  of 
Jesus  or  any  other  customs  tending  to  abolish  the  need  of 
charity. 

Remember  the  reckless  man  who  introduced  the  umbrellas, 
a  Chinese  invention,  into  Western  Europe.  He  was  mobbed. 
What  would  not  happen  to  him  who  would  introduce  a  "heaven 
on  earth"  into  a  still  more  western  world? 

"Behold,  I  send  you  as  sheep  in  the  midst  of  wolves!" 

SECOND  COMING  OF  CHRIST 

In  the  day  of  judgment,  "Then  shall  the  king  say  unto  them 
on  his  right  hand,  'Come  ye  blessed  of  my  father,  inherit  the 
kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the  foundations  of  the  world, 
for  I  was  hungered  and  ye  gave  me  meat,  and  I  was  thirsty  and 
ye  gave  me  drink ;  I  was  a  stranger  and  ye  took  me  in ;  naked 
and  ye  clothed  me ;  I  was  sick  and  ye  visited  me ;  in  prison  and 
ye  came  unto  me.' 

"Then  shall  the  righteous  answer  him,  saying:  "When 
saw  I  ye  hungered  and  fed  thee?  Or  thirsty  and  gave  thee 
drink?  When  saw  we  thee,  a  stranger,  and  took  thee  in?  Or 
naked  and  clothed  thee?  Or  when  saw  we  thee  sick  or  in  prison 
and  came  unto  thee? 

"And  the  king  shall  answer  and  say  unto  them,  'Verily  I 
say  unto  you.  Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least 
of  these  my  brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto  me'." 

These  are  necessarily  the  words  of  the  suffering  Christ, 
although  we  may  doubt  that  they  are  the  words  of  the  historical 


210  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 

Jesus.  But  the  suffering  Christ  asks  nothing  and  can  ask  nothing 
but  this:  "What  have  ye  done  to  the  least  of  my  brethren?" 

They,  that  never  knew  him  nor  that  had  never  even  heard 
of  him  and  presumably  had  not  been  baptised  in  his  name,  and 
never  partaken  of  the  holy  communion,  were  astonished.  But 
since  they  had  tried  to  do  away  with  suffering,  they  were  the 
righteous  in  his  eyes. 

The  righteousness  of  those  who  had  cried  "Lord,  Lord," 
shall  not  count  on  the  judgment  day.  Nothing  is  asked  about 
faith  in  God  or  the  salvation  by  grace,  or  the  blood  of  Jesus. 
Nothing  about  the  means  of  grace  or  the  sin  against  the  Holy 
Ghost.  For  all  these  things  are  the  inventions  and  the  fabrica- 
tions of  the  enemies  of  the  suffering  Christ. 

The  transfiguration  of  the  suffering  into  a  joyous  Christ 
or  his  second  coming,  depends  on  ourselves.  W^e  must  work 
while  we  wait.  The  Jews  waited  for  him  instead  of  preparing 
for  his  coming,  and  are  still  waiting.  The  Seven  Day  Adventists, 
and  the  Millennial  Dawners  are  waiting  for  him  this  present  day, 
studying  the  prophecies  all  the  time,  forgetting  that  Christ  waits 
for  us,  and  they  shall,  therefore,  most  likely  be  the  last  to  become 
conscious  of  his  second  coming.  If  we  confine  ourselves  to  the 
Bible,  neglecting  the  world's  great  literatures,  how  can  we  know 
the  signs  of  the  times? 

Other  Christians  secretly  dread  the  second  coming  of  Christ 
as  well  they  may.  Their  instinct  is  true,  but  their  ideas  of  that 
event,  if  they  have  any,  are  fantastic. 

Take  the  church  as  a  whole,  that  is  Catholics  and  Protest- 
ants, together,  there  is  not  so  much  difference  between  them. 
St.  Paul  is  their  apostle,  and  let  us  say  that  she  is  the  great 
whore  spoken  of  in  the  revelation.  Then  each  individual  church 
must  be  a  little  harlot,  and  the  question  is:  Will  they,  on  Christ's 
second  coming,  like  a  repentant  Magdalene,  anoint  the  feet  of 
the  Savior?  The  world  at  large  knows  the  gospel  of  Jesus,  both 
as  found  in  the  Bible  and  as  adulterated  by  St.  Paul  and  the 
church  after  him.  It  is  no  use  to  preach  any  more.  The  world 
wants  a  demonstration  of  the  teaching  of  Jesus.  We  have  had 
enough  of  the  cross.  Now  for  the  crown.  And,  remember,  no 
kingdom,  no  crown. 

Many  things  should  favor  the  idea  that  the  churches  should 
take  the  lead  in  the  Utopian  field.  Is  it  not  written  that  harlots 
should  go  before  others  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven?  Although 
we  have  no  reason  to  believe  that  Jesus  had  the  churches  in  mind 
when  he  made  that  prophecy,  it  is  nevertheless  a  beautiful  fancy 
so  to  consider  it  providing  the  churches  would  follow  it  up  by  a 
fulfillment  fitting  the  prophecy.    And  many  prophecies  and  their 


THE  BOOK  OF  THE  LAMB  211 

alleged  fulfillments  are  equally  far-fetched.  That  indeed  would 
be  beautiful  consummation  of  the  Judaistic  movement  including 
Christianity. 

Nothing-  seems  simpler.  In  each  church,  or  in  many  of  them 
a  priest  or  a  pastor  that  could  be  transfigured  into  a  leader  or  a 
king  with  a  nucleus  of  followers  sufficient  to  form  a  kingdom 
might  be  found.  And  all  that  they  would  have  to  do,  to  begin 
with,  would  be  to  sever  their  connections  with  their  respective 
denominations,  and  as  independent  units,  recognize  the  republic 
as  the  larger  political  body  by  paying  taxes  on  their  property. 
Then  they  are  free  to  make  their  social  experiments  on  an  equal 
basis  with  other  Utopians.  "Render  unto  Caesar  the  things 
which   are  Caesar's." 

Will  the  Christians  now  be  converted?  Or  shall  it  be  said 
about  them  what  Jesus  said  about  the  Scribes  and  the  Pharisees 
in  his  day:  "They  neither  enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven  themselves, 
but  prevent  others  from  doing  so." 

Today  as  then,  the  marriage  question  may  prove  to  be  the 
stumbling  block.  Church  people  are  so  used  to  marriage  in  its 
present  form  that  even  those  who  derive  no  benefits  from  it 
or  even  sufifer  from  it  shall  probably  do  all  in  their  power  to 
prevent  any  change  in  it.  And  we  know,  on  the  other  hand, 
that  unless  we  assume  the  right  to  change  our  marriage  customs 
according  to  our  needs,  although  we  do  not  intend  to  go  to  the 
extreme  and  say  that  there  shall  be  no  marriage,  very  little  can 
be  done  in  an  Utopian  way. 

Science  has  cleared  our  minds,  and  the  fear  of  God  and  the 
fear  of  hell  has  lost  its  hold  on  our  hearts,  but  in  matrimonial 
aflFairs  the  priests  of  all  denominations  have  a  terrible  grip  on 
humanity,  and  it  is  hardly  to  be  expected  that  they  should  let  go 
of  that  hold,  which  may  be  their  last. 

Perhaps  we  should  not  have  emphasized  this  point  as  we 
have  done  if  we  did  not  feel  sure  that  to  the  church  record  of 
being  on  the  wrong  side— in  questions  of  astronomy,  for  in- 
stance— shall  in  time  be  added  her  record  of  being  on  the  wrong 
side  in  questions  of  matrimony,  for  such  questions  are  not  settled 
by  the  authority  of  the  church  nor  by  popular  vote,  but  by 
the  spirit  of  life  and  truth. 

Utopians,  however,  shall  have  their  hands  full  trying  to 
create  ideal  commonwealths,  and  cannot  waste  their  time  trying 
to  convert  Christians.  "He  that  is  unjust,  let  him  be  unjust  still ; 
and  he  that  is  filthy,  let  him  be  filthy  still ;  and  he  that  is  right- 
eous, let  him  be  righteous  still ;  and  he  that  is  holy,  let  him  be 
holy  still.'" 


212  THE  UTOPIAN  WAY 


THE  MANY  MANSIONS 

"In  my  father's  house  are  many  mansions ;  if  it  were  not  so 
I  would  have  told  you.  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you ;  and  if  I 
go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you,  I  shall  come  again  and  receive  you 
unto  myself  that  where  I  am  there  ye  may  be  also." 

The  mind  of  Jesus  in  this  instance  was  free  from  the  im- 
peralistic  idea  that  there  shall  be  only  one  fold  and  one  shepherd. 
An  idea  that  haunts  all  nations  and  all  denominations  and  fills 
the  world  with  misery,  want  and  woe. 

He  did  not  say  how  many  mansions.  The  spirit  which  is 
Christ  knows  no  limitations,  but  in  the  seventh  chapter  of  Rev- 
elation we  read :  "And  I  heard  the  number  of  them  which  were 
sealed,  and  there  were  sealed  an  hundred  and  forty  and  four 
thousand  of  all  the  tribes  of  the  Children  of  Israel." 

They  were  sealed  in  their  foreheads.  What  that  means  is 
hard  to  tell.  Perhaps  their  names  were  written  in  the  Book  of 
Life  or  that  they  were  registered  at  the  headquarters  of  their 
respective  mansions.  In  other  words,  with  the  sealed  kingdoms, 
not  individuals,  are  meant.  This  would  be  more  in  conformity 
with  the  vision  we  read  about  in  the  same  chapter:  "And  after 
this  I  beheld,  and,  lo,  a  great  multitude,  which  no  man  could  num- 
ber, of  all  nations,  and  kindreds,  and  tongues,  stood  before  the 
throne  and  before  the  Lamb,  clothed  with  white  robes,  and  palms 
in  their  hands." 

Here  we  behold  Him  who  gave  Himself  as  a  ransom  for  all 
as  one  who  has  gained  a  great  victory.  And  this  thought  is 
more  agreeable  to  us  than  the  idea  that  a  mere  handful  shall  be 
saved  out  of  the  clutches  of  Jehovah. 

And  this  multitude  which  no  man  could  number  divided  into 
an  hundred  and  forty  and  four  thousand  mansions,  kingdoms  or 
Utopias  is  a  plant  of  salvation  from  imperialism  worth  consider- 

The  multitude  at  present  inhabiting  our  earth  is  estimated 
to  number  something  between  fourteen  or  fifteen  hundred  mil- 
lions. These  divided  into  the  above  mentioned  number  of  king- 
doms would  give  to  each  only  about  ten  thousand  souls. 
Limited  to  that  number  the  imperial  ambition  to  rule  the  world 
with  an  iron  rod,  inherent  in  all  social  units,  would  appear  and  in 
fact  be  ridiculous. 

Imperialism  implies  an  expansion  of  territory  and  an  in- 
crease of  population  that  necessarily  leads  to  war  and  famine. 
If  these  imperialistic  tendencies  are  curbed  the  tendency  to  ex- 
pand and  grow  would  force  us  to  seek  upward  and  in  this  direc- 
tion we  shall  go  from  glory  to  glory. 

While  a  free  circulation  of  individuals  through  all  kingdoms 
and  a  free  interchange  of  members  shall  relieve  the  pressure  we 
cannot  get  away  from  this.  That,  when  we  have  beaten  our 
swords  into  plowshares,  a  pruning  hook  must  be  apphed  to  the 


THE  BOOK  OF  THE  LAMB  213 

Tree  of  Knowledge.  That  is,  if  we  still  want  to  cultivate  that 
tree  or  keep  humanity  above  the  animal  level. 

There  is  no  easy  way  to  glory. 

Again  speaking  of  the  great  multitude:  "What  are  these 
which  are  arrayed  in  white  robes?  and  whence  came  they?" 

"And  I  said  unto  him,  Sir  thou  knowest.  And  he  said  to  me, 
These  are  they  which  came  out  of  tribulation  and  have  washed 
their  robes,  and  made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb." 

There  is  an  error  here.  Instead  of  in  it  should  be  of  or  from 
the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  John  himself  seemed  to  have  feared  or 
anticipated  something  of  this  sort  and  threatened  that  "if  any 
man  shall  add  unto  these  things,  God  shall  add  unto  him  the 
plagues  that  are  written  in  this  book ;  and  if  any  man  shall  take 
away  from  the  words  of  the  book  of  this  prophecy,  God  shall 
take  away  his  part  out  of  the  book  of  life." 

Some  one  has  blundered,  some  copyist  or  perhaps  John  the 
revelator  himself.  In  common  usage  if  a  man  says:  "I  wash  my 
hands  of  this  affair,"  it  is  understood  to  mean  that  he  will  not 
be  responsible  for  the  deed  to  be  done.  And  so  it  was  the  usage 
in  the  time  of  Jesus :  "When  Pilate  saw  that  he  could  prevail 
nothing,  but  that  rather  a  tumult  was  made,  he  took  water,  and 
washed  his  hands  before  the  multitude  saying,  I  am  innocent  of 
the  blood  of  this  Just  man :  see  ye  to  it." 

"Then  answered  all  the  people  saying,  His  blood  be  on  us 
and  our  children." 

It  has  been  on  us  and  must  continue  to  be  so  until  something 
like  His  kingdom  is  established  among  us.  They  who  claim  to 
be  His  followers  have  failed  in  this.  And  as  Lady  Macbeth  in  her 
dream  vainly  tried  to  wash  from  her  hands  the  blood  of  the  mur- 
dered king  so  Christians  in  the  day  of  judgment  shall  try  to 
wash  from  their  hands  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  all  in  vain. 

When  we  have  created  a  social  order  or  a  civilization  that 
does  not  demand  or  require  blood  and  sacrifices,  then  we  have 
made  our  robes  white  or  clean  from  the  blood  of  the  Lamb. 
Then  Jesus  is  saved.  Instead  of  being  the  suffering  Christ  he  is 
now  our  King  of  Kings,  the  patron  saint  of  all  Utopians. 

"Laissez  faire"  in  the  Utopian  field!  Free  competition  shall 
bring  the  mansions  in  the  sky  down  to  earth.  And  among  them 
Christ  and  His  kingdom.  Some  time.  To  begin  with  there  shall 
most  likely  be  no  place  for  them  unless  it  be  on  the  strip  of  land 
reserved  for  the  animals.  So  far  away  is  he  from  us  or  we  from 
his  gospel.  But  he  should  not  always  be  an  outcast.  In  the 
United  States  are  many  counties.  Let  us  prepare  the  way  that 
sometime  in  one  of  them  he  shall  find  a  habitation  and  a  home 
and  where  we  are  there  shall  he  be  also. 


Pr«as  of  the 

Co-operative  Print  Shop 

South  Bend.  Ind. 


